Sheridan Smith breaks down in tears as she admits guilt about ‘letting people down’ over failed musical Opening Night
SHERIDAN Smith was left in tears after blaming herself for the failure of her new West End musical, Opening Night.
The beloved actress, 42, has been leading the cast of the new show at London’s Gielgud Theatre, which follows the story of Myrtle, an actress whose alcoholism spirals out of control after witnessing the death of a young fan.
However, despite the gripping premise, reviews were poor and the audience reaction was lacklustre at best – with many walking out mid-performance or even falling asleep.
As a result, the show is due to close early with its final performance on May 18, rather than the initially intended July 27.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Sheridan said she felt that the show’s failure was her fault, even breaking down in tears.
“I was just heartbroken for the company,” she told the outlet. “I felt that I’d let them down in a way, that I couldn’t sell it”.
Sheridan’s performance was arguably the one thing largely praised by audiences and critics, who instead panned the music, pacing and content of the script itself.
Ivo Van Hove, who directed the show, added elements to expand the show beyond the realms of the stage, including a screen that showed Sheridan in character as she stumbled out of the stage door and onto the streets of Soho in a drunken haze.
The new musical was a new twist on a play Van Hove had previously produced, which in itself was an adaptation of the 1977 movie of the same name.
The character of Myrtle had obvious parallels to the life of Sheridan, who had a public breakdown in 2017, and her own battle with addiction.
Sheridan had hoped that the show would allow her the opportunity to “face her demons” and move past them.
While Opening Night didn’t get the reception desired, she was still looking forward to the future.
She told The Times: “I was very ashamed of that time of my life, and I wanted to do this part to prove that I could do it, that I could face my demons head on.
“I’m so much stronger than I was back then. I went off the rails a bit, dated all the wrong people, obviously my breakdown…”
“Now I feel like I’m a mum, I’m very grateful for everything I’ve got in my life,” she added. “I feel like the best is yet to come.”
She is next set to star in an ITV crime drama, playing Ann Ming, the woman who fought for 15 years to change the “double jeopardy” law after her daughter Julie Hogg was murdered by her former partner in 1989.
The double jeopardy law, which stopped people being tried twice for the same crime.
Opening Night has slashed tickets to £15 ahead of the final curtain.