In April 2016, she returned as Norma Desmond in the musical "Sunset Boulevard" in an English National Opera production in the West End in London. Close was met with rave reviews after returning to this same role twenty-three years later. Both "The Times" and "The Daily Telegraph" gave the production five stars and praised her performance. During the production Close was forced to cancel three shows due to a chest infection. She was hospitalized but later recovered and finished the remaining shows. Close won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance, and was nominated for her first Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.