Sheridan Smith looked delighted as she celebrated at the curtain call of her brand new musical Opening Night in London on Tuesday.
The actress, 42, stars as functioning alcoholic actress Myrtle Gordon in the new musical – which is based on the 1977 drama film starring Gena Rowlands.
The acclaimed TV star – who endured a public breakdown amid her run in Funny Girl in 2016 – dyed her blonde locks brown especially for the part.
Following a successful premiere, Sheridan was joined by her friends who had turned out to the Gielgud Theatre to see her.
Happy Valley actor James Norton was seen congratulating Sheridan, shortly after she was joined by the her co-stars including Amy Lennox and writer Rufus Wainwright.
Plenty of famous faces were at the musical’s premiere, including West End star Marisha Wallace, fresh from her stint in Celebrity Big Brother.
Elsewhere, Alan Carr was also in attendance along with his Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream judge Jessie Ware.
Meanwhile, Love Island legend and self-confessed musical theatre fanatic Amy Hart seemed thrilled to be at the show.
The TV star – who last year welcomed a baby boy with fiancé Sam Raison – looked grand in green and completed her look with a long grey trench coat.
Similarly, former My Family star Zoë Wanamaker also opted for a green look, but paired her emerald anorak with a pair of white trousers, trainers and mesh handbag.
Wicked actor Jonathan Bailey looked happy to be back at the theatre just months after shooting finished on the new film musical starring Ariana Grande.
Former ‘Gavin and Stacey’ star Sheridan – who won an Olivier Award for her leading role as Elle Woods in the musical adaptation of Legally Blonde in 2011 – has returned to the West End for the second time in just under 12 months, following on from her star-turn in Shirley Valentine last year.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline inside her dressing room at London’s Gielgud Theatre ahead of her debut performance in Opening Night, the Brit star, 42, appreciates the obvious parallels between herself and Myrtle Gordon, the drunken Broadway legend she’s bringing to life in her new stage show.
However, where some actors may swerve such triggering parts, Sheridan describes being offered the role as ‘a gift’ because she can use it to finally extinguish past traumas which threatened to derail her career.
She said: ‘It feels like a moment of taking back control. I feel like the part is a gift, it’s a gift of a part for any actress to play.
‘I’m loving every minute of it, it’s such an honour. I can’t wait for people to see it now.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
