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      Sheridan Smith’s Opening Night musical suffers fresh blow as audience members walk out – as others fall asleep

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      SHERIDAN Smith’s West End return Opening Night has proven more divisive than many expected – with some audience members even walking out. The actress has embarked on a 21-week stint in the new musical at the Gielgud Theatre, a show based on the 1977 film with the same name. Sheridan Smith’s Opening Night has continued to see walkoutsCredit: GettyWhile Sheridan has been praised, audience members have walked outCredit: GettyBut despite its striking premise – following an alcoholic theatre star who is left traumatised by the death of a teenage fan – it seems the story has been lost in translation. Since the show opened, there has been a string of issues with the audience falling asleep, sneaking out in the interval, and now walking out while the performance is still on. Critics were also split with their reviews. According to Daily Mail, around 50 audience members left before the final curtain across two separate performances, with the staff informing them it was a ‘regular occurrence’. READ MORE SHERIDAN SMITHThis was largely down to the confusing plot, use of a projecting character close-ups onto a giant video screen on stage, and its ‘chaotic and disjointed’ feeling. One woman described it to the site as “weak and indulgent” and declared: “’We didn’t understand what was going on in the first half.” An unnamed theatre steward added: “I had to show two women out halfway through the second half because they said they needed the toilet – but they didn’t come back. “It’s definitely a unique play.” Most read in ShowbizCreated by avant-garde experimental theatre director Ivo van Hove, with music by Rufus Wainwright, Opening Night follows the life of the struggling Myrtle Gordon whose life is upended after seeing a teenage fan die in front of her. Sheridan, who has openly discussed her own past battle with depression and alcohol addiction, has largely been praised for her portrayal of Myrtle, whose drunken battle results in a filmed piece of Sheridan crawling around the streets of Soho while onlookers watch on unimpressed. When The Sun went to see the show at a preview, one theatregoer told us: “The entire row in front of me left during the interval. I wanted to, but I’m glad I didn’t, as I would have missed the part of the show where Sheridan fights with a ghost while dubstep music is played.”More people in the audience, sat quite near the front, got up and left in a huff during this moment too – while Sheridan was actually onstage.””Sheridan put on an excellent show, but the material she and the rest of the cast had been given to work with was pretty shocking – with poor songs and a dull storyline,” they added.Opening Night will remain at the Gielgud Theatre for the next few monthsCredit: Not known, clear with picture deskThe storyline has parallel elements to Sheridan’s real lifeCredit: GettyThe audience have been left with a ‘baffling’ musical that’s divided audience membersCredit: Getty More

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      Who is Francesca Amewudah-Rivers?

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      FRANCESCA AMEWUDAH-RIVERS is a multitalented artist from the United Kingdom.She has written, composed, and acted in British television shows and movies, and will soon take the stage alongside Tom Holland in London’s West End. Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is set to star aside Tom HollandCredit: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesWho is Francesca Amewudah-Rivers? Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a British writer, composer, and actress. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in music from Oxford University and attended the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.She has worked on projects with Shakespeare’s Globe, the Actors Touring Company, and the National Theatre, and more.In 2022, she co-wrote the short film Medea and composed its soundtrack.That year, she also did composition work for the short film Minutes, according to her IMDb.What is Francesca Amewudah-Rivers famous for? Francesca Amewudah-Rivers became well-known for her roles in the British sitcom Bad Education.She played Blessing on the BBC show for 13 episodes.Francesca is set to make her West End debut in an upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet.Most read in CelebrityFrancesca will play the female lead, Juliet, opposite Tom Holland’s Romeo.Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a multitalented entertainerCredit: Helen Murray 2021When will Francesca Amewudah-Rivers star in Romeo & Juliet?Romeo and Juliet will run for 12 weeks at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End.Francesca is expected to star as Juliet for the entire affair, alongside the beloved Spiderman actor.The curtain is set to rise on May 11, 2024, and the show will continue through August 3. More

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      Sheridan Smith’s new show in chaos as audience members fall ASLEEP and reviewers call it ‘worst piece of theatre’

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      SHERIDAN Smith’s latest theatre was slammed by critics and sent audience members to sleep.The award-winning actress is starring in the musical of 1977 film Opening Night, where she plays functioning alcoholic actress Myrtle Gordon.Sheridan Smith’s new theatre venture left audience members confusedOne critic claimed that people were sleeping in the audienceDespite her incredible reputation in the industry, one theatre buff compared the performance to a “multi-lane pile up”.It was also branded “tragic” and a “waste of audiences’ time and money”. Stefan Kyriazis, the Arts Editor for Express said: “As the curtain fell, the poor ladies in front of me muttering, ‘I don’t understand – what just happened?’ echoed the bewildered slump of an audience who sat (some smartly snoozed) through Rufus Wainwright’s tuneless tunes, endless pointless and intrusive camerawork (enough, already), some atrocious acting and frustratingly bad staging.”According to another critic, “half the audience loved it, the other half hated it”. read more on sheridan smithDespite the rough reviews, Sheridan, who has been open about her own mental health battles over the years, was the show’s saving grace. Her character, Myrtle, suffers a mental breakdown and leans on booze to help her through. The storyline is close to home for Sheridan, who opened up about her own demons in 2017. She previously battled anxiety, depression and addiction and said that her “life was falling apart”.Most read in ShowbizThe death of her beloved father Colin in 2016 only fuelled her crisis, which saw her stumble out of a stage door after her Funny Girl stint at the Menier Chocolate Factory.There were rumours that she was drunk on stage, but she has always denied this.She told Sunday Times Culture Magazine: “My life was falling apart and I didn’t tell anyone.”I was totally terrified that I was going to come unstuck, that I couldn’t hold these feelings of insecurity in much longer without it coming to a head.”Which it did last year. My dad getting cancer triggered it, but it had been a long time coming.”Things have been weird for years.”Sheridan previously said that Opening Night was “like therapy” for her, saying it felt like her life had gone “full circle”.Of the parallels between her former self and Myrtle, she said: “I am playing an actress but at least I can add a bit of my emotion to it, some true emotion.“It is very freeing. It has actually been really cathartic, just getting it all out.“It’s like I am back, doing it, you know? Taking ownership of it.In the past Sheridan said her anxiety and feelings of insecurity increased the more successful she became, winning rave reviews for her performances on stage and in TV dramas including Cilla and The C Word.During her career she has received BAFTA and Olivier awards, but despite the glory she hid her mental health issues.READ MORE SUN STORIESShe said: “All I could imagine was people thinking, ‘You should be grateful. Get over yourself.’”But when you have that degree of anxiety, you can’t just pull yourself together and you can’t explain it. It just snowballs until it’s out of control.”Sheridan plays a woman having a mental breakdownCritics said that Sheridan’s performance saved the show More

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      Sitcom stars reunite for Sister Act The Musical – it was so fun we almost died and went to heaven

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      Sister Act The Musical★★★★★Living up to a movie franchise that grossed an eye-watering $356 million dollars was always going to be a challenge, but the St. Katherine’s nuns in the latest West End production served up a slice of heaven.Sister Act The Musical has returned to London with a stellar cast lineup – including the greats such as Beverley Knight and Lemar.The St. Katherine’s nuns in the latest West End production served up a slice of heavenCredit: Johan PerssonSister Act The Musical has returned to London with a stellar cast lineup – including the greats such as Beverley Knight and LemarCredit: Johan PerssonCurtis Jackson is played by singer LemarCredit: Johan PerssonGavin and Stacey legend Ruth Jones was a far cry from Nessa Jenkins but that didn’t stop her sitcom pals James Corden, Alison Steadman and Rob Brydon from turning up to support her on opening night.Waiting in anticipation for the curtain to lift in the packed Dominion theatre, there was immediately a feeling in the air that we were all in for an incredible treat from above.Just like both movies, which are now 30 years old, the show opens as disco babe Deloris is placed into protective custody, with the Catholic church the least likely place she’ll be found by her gangster lover Curtis Jackson (Lemar).Beverley Knight’s voice knows no bounds – and neither does her acting in the role of Ms Cartier. Her impressive vocal range is displayed during the musical’s beautiful songs including Take Me To Heaven and Here Within These Walls.more on theatreRuth Jones stepping into the role of a serious-bible abiding nun was a breath of fresh air, equal parts entertaining and convincing. The Welsh accent sticks out like a sore thumb at the start, but the 57-year-old’s alter ego Mother Superior explains how she emigrated to San Francisco three decades previously. If you say so…The impressive and versatile staging adds to the performance off with the subtle scene changes commanding your undivided attention throughout both parts of the show. In the blink of an eye the audience are catapulted from the back streets to the serenity of the church.As a TV journalist the cast is a crossover delight. Lesley Joseph looks so unrecognisable in her the role that I didn’t realise it was her at first. With over 50 years on stage she truly is a pro and versatile actor. Her vocal range is something to be admired and she shows no signs of slowing down at 78 years of age.Speaking of television, X Factor legend Alexandra Burke will take over the reins from Beverley from June.Most read in ShowbizThe harmony off all voices and ranges during the show is a spectacle, something that gripped the audience – and former Celebrity Big Brother star Wayne Sleep, who needed a wine to process it all during the interval.At the helm of Sister Act is Bill Buckhurst, with choreography by Alistair David, set and costume design by Morgan Large and musical direction by Neil MacDonald.You’ll be truly blessed to see the show – we felt like we’d died and gone to heaven.Cable Street is an ambitious musical with a valuable history lesson and message of hope… it couldn’t be more topicalBeverley Knight’s voice knows no bounds – and neither does her acting in the role of Ms CartierCredit: Johan PerssonLesley Joseph looks so unrecognisable in her the role that we didn’t realise it was her at firstCredit: Johan Persson More

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      Katie Price claims she’s landed her own West End show as she confirms the writer has already been lined up

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      KATIE Price may have just found her way out of her highly publicised money troubles. It has been reported that Mucky Mansion personality owes over £750,000 to the taxman. Katie Price see’s herself on the West End stageCredit: katieprice/InstagramShe posed alongside her theatre pals as she claimed she already lined up a writer for the projectCredit: InstagramShe’s spoken about her dreams for a number of yearsCredit: InstagramBut there maybe the perfect project to fix that, a West End show about her life!Katie Price, 45, took to her Instagram stories with a video as she was out at a glitzy showbiz event last night. In the clip, she posed on the red carpet alongside her new man, former Married At First Sight star JJ Slater, 31, and two of her friends.However, inspired by the event she attended – Priscilla: The Party – the former Loose Women star hinted that her pals might be up for helping her. READ MORE ON THE PRICEYThe former I’m A Celebrity campmate captioned the video: “Reunited with @andy_bren. “Can’t wait for @andy_bren to write my West End show 🎭.”Her pal she referred too works in the creative industry as a producer for the theatrical company, OCD Productions UK. He’s also the Creative Director for Adventure Wonderland Park in Bournemouth, so is well placed to help her out with her project. Most read in ShowbizPrevious stars to go onto do West End shows from reality TV include the likes of Alexandra Burke, Jay McGuiness. The likes of Gemma Collins and Loose Women star Katie Piper have also created audience stage shows. Katie Price sparks fan fears as daughter Bunny, 9, wears huge high heels and make-up to boozy over 18s only partyKatie has spoken of her dreams of being in London’s famous theatre district for years. The former Celebrity Big Brother star previously claimed in 2020 that she landed a Netflix movie about her life that would be based on her autobiography.Over the years the media personality has written six autobiographies – and released the first, Being Jordan, in 2004.She told new! magazine: “I’ve actually send a producer all my books and they want to write a show for the West End about my life and then turn it into a film for Netflix.”Someone would be playing me and I might narrate it or something.”Everything you need to know about Katie Price Step inside the life of former glamour model Katie Price
      She was out for a night on the town with her new man, JJ Slater from MAFSCredit: InstagramKatie previously claimed she sent her work to a top producer for a new adaptationCredit: InstagramThe star wants a show to be written about her life based on her autobiographyCredit: instagram More

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      Sheridan Smith hit by fresh blow as bored audiences walk out of big theatre comeback – while star is on STAGE

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      SHERIDAN Smith has been hit by a fresh blow as ‘bored’ audiences walked out of her theatre comeback.The 42-year-old actress has embarked on a 21-week stint in new musical Opening Night at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre — based on the 1977 film about an alcoholic Broadway star who is left traumatised by the death of a teenage fan.Sheridan Smith has been hit by a fresh blow as bored audiences walked out of her theatre comebackCredit: SuppliedThe 42-year-old actress has embarked on a 21-week stint in new musical Opening NightCredit: AlamyBut audience members were spotted walking out of the theatre while Sheridan was still on the stage. One theatregoer said: “The entire row in front of me left during the interval. I wanted to, but I’m glad I didn’t, as I would have missed the part of the show where Sheridan fights with a ghost while dubstep music is played.”More people in the audience, sat quite near the front, got up and left in a huff during this moment too – while Sheridan was actually onstage.”They continued: “During the interval and after the show, everyone around me was talking about how confused they were by the show, and found the screens dotted around the theatre extremely distracting.Read More on Sheridan Smith”Sheridan put on an excellent show, but the material she and the rest of the cast had been given to work with was pretty shocking – with poor songs and a dull storyline.”The show is still in previews, so hopefully there are some drastic re-writes before opening night. Otherwise it’ll be Closing Night sooner than planned.”Tellingly, there was no standing ovation – something extremely rare for a West End show, especially with a cast of this calibre.”Each night, Sheridan can be seen on her hands and knees outside the ­theatre as her character Myrtle Gordon turns up late to the first night of her show after hitting the bottle.Most read in ShowbizThe moment is filmed live and transmitted on to a screen for the audience inside the theatre, capturing the real crowds in Soho spilling on to the pavement from the bar next door.Sheridan has described the role as a “sign” after she also hit rock bottom in 2016 while starring in London’s West End as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, cancelling one show 15 minutes into the performance.Sheridan Smith looks almost unrecognisable as she swaps trademark blonde hair for a new dark brown doNow, she has admitted that her life has come full circle as she revisits the demons of her past on stage.Speaking backstage following her first show, she said: “It is kind of like therapy.”Breathing a sigh of relief, she added: “I love leaving it all on the stage. I have to say, it is quite fun doing that scene outside.“I know my publicist doesn’t like it very much for safety reasons and she has a panic but I love it because it is live and so immersive.“My knees have taken a bit of a knock but it all adds to the excitement.“It will be different every night which keeps it fresh as people will be crossing to the shops — it will be interesting.”Sheridan plays the role of Myrtle Gordon More

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      Inside supermodel Cara Delevingne’s battle with drink and drugs which saw her turn life around to become a West End star

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      SUPERMODEL-turned-actor Cara Delevingne is the toast of the West End after her stage debut went down a storm on Monday.The catwalk star is playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret, a dream role for a woman who auditioned for and won the coveted part previously played by A-listers including Liza Minnelli and Dame Judi Dench.Supermodel Cara Delevingne made her West End stage debut on MondayCredit: Emilio MadridCara is playing Sally Bowles in CabaretCredit: SplashThe catwalk star landed the coveted part previously played by Liza Minnelli and Dame Judi Dench, above as a Victoria’s Secret model in 2013Credit: RexBut the road to Cara’s standing ovation has been difficult, as she battled to get back on her feet after hitting rock bottom 18 months ago.After worrying photographs of her emerged in September 2022, her friends told The Sun how her family — her sister is socialite Poppy Delevingne and they are descended from viscounts and baronets — had come close to intervening.Cara was seen sitting alone in a car in West Hollywood, smoking in the driver’s seat and sucking on what looked like a pipe.Days later she was seen wandering around Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles looking dishevelled after spending a few days at the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert, where, it was claimed, she had not showered or eaten for days.READ MORE IN SHOWBIZReality checkHer behaviour came just a few weeks after she was seen celebrating her 30th birthday with a series of wild parties in Ibiza with pals including Barbie actress Margot Robbie.At Van Nuys a video showed her seemingly unable to control her limbs as she bent over, dropped her phone and wandered around while on a call, with a cigarette in her hand.Cara had been due to fly out of Los Angeles and she was seen boarding Jay Z’s private jet, but then she re-emerged, her bags were removed from the plane and she was driven away from the airport.At the time her friends told The Sun: “We are all incredibly concern-ed. The situation has been building for a few weeks now and Cara’s family is involved.Most read in Celebrity“There is talk of staging some kind of intervention and making sure Cara gets the help she may well need.“She has been burning the candle at both ends of late, and it’s clearly taking its toll.”Cara Delevingne posts on social media for the first time since sparking concern with disturbing behaviourThe shocking photographs were a wake-up call for Cara, who once admitted she didn’t think she would live to see 30.She later said of the pictures: “I hadn’t slept. I was not OK.Sometimes you need a reality check, so in a way those pictures were something to be grateful forCara Delevingne“It’s heartbreaking because I thought I was having fun, but at some point it was like, ‘OK, I don’t look well’.“Sometimes you need a reality check, so in a way those pictures were something to be grateful for.” Of the festival, she said: “There is an element of feeling invincible when I’m on drugs.“I put myself in danger in those moments because I don’t care about my life.”Cara then checked into rehab and began a 12-step programme to break free of drink and drugs.She added: “Before, I was always into the quick fix of healing, going to a week-long retreat or to a course for trauma, say, and that helped for a minute, but it didn’t ever really get to the nitty-gritty, the deeper stuff.“This time I realised that a 12-step treatment was the best thing, and it was about not being ashamed of that.”The model was seen sitting alone in a car in West Hollywood, smoking in the driver’s seatCredit: BackGridCara was seen sucking on what looked like a pipeCredit: BackGridCara looking dishevelled at Van Nuys airport in 2022Credit: BackGridIn a revealing interview with British Vogue mag, Cara also gave an insight into her earlier years, explaining that when her mother Pandora, 64, was going through heroin addiction it took a devastating toll on her.She said: “The way that addiction took my mother from me was brutal, and it was brutal for her too.”The way that addiction took my mother from me was brutal, and it was brutal for her tooCara DelevingneCara started using drugs and drinking in her teens, having first had booze aged just seven.By the time she was ten — the age when she also got her first major modelling job, for Vogue Italia — Cara was prescribed pills to help her manage insomnia. At 15 she suffered a breakdown and was put on anti-depressants after she started self-harming.Cara then fell in and out of bad habits with drink and drugs, but away from modelling she started to build a successful career in acting.She landed her first film role in 2012 alongside Keira Knightley in historical drama Anna Karenina.Three years later she was cast in comedy drama Paper Towns and Peter Pan prequel Pan, then in 2016 she appeared in superhero adventure Suicide Squad as Enchantress.The same year Cara stepped back from full-time modelling as she focused on acting, and said: “I lost sight of myself and what it meant to be happy, what it meant to be successful. “I think it all stemmed from a deep-down feeling of wanting people to like me and love me. I knew I had to re-evaluate my life and my goals for my future.”After lockdown, Cara’s bad habits resurfaced and she has told how she started partying hard — all while juggling more film and TV work, including BBC Three documentary series Planet Sex With Cara Delevingne.A year later, it spiralled — with Cara’s meltdown at Van Nuys signalling a turning point.She checked into rehab and started the 12-step programme, cutting off her work commitments to focus on getting better.Two months after the shock pictures were taken she appeared on the red carpet at Rihanna’s Savage Fenty fashion show, but then lay low again until February last year, when she appeared at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. It marked the start of her big comeback — and last September she was back on stage, this time at a Vogue World fashion event in London.Poised for her return to work, Cara then quietly auditioned for the role of Sally in Cabaret.Show bosses at London’s Playhouse Theatre announced she had won the part last month.Cara said at the time: “There are no words to explain the excitement I have to return home to make my stage debut in such an iconic role.“I am so inspired by the brilliant actors who have played Sally in past productions around the world and in this one in the West End.”She spent weeks rehearsing — six days a week for eight hours a day — before her debut on Monday.Defending her casting from criticism, Cara said last week: “Even if I did the best I possibly could, and even if that was really good, people are still going to be like, ‘She doesn’t deserve to be here’.“I auditioned like anyone else [so] it’s just annoying, but I have to tune that out.”Cara, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, has been dating musician Leah Mason, who she met as a child, since 2022. She has previously dated US musician St Vincent and actress Ashley Benson.She took over the role of Sally from singer Self Esteem, also known as Rebecca Taylor, and she stars with Luke Treadaway, who inherits the role of The Emcee from Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears.Cara’s first night saw big crowds and some of her famous pals turn out to support her.I haven’t done a play since school but it’s the reason why I’ve wanted to act for my whole lifeCara DelevingneShe has been keen to put her stamp on the character. Keeping her posh English accent, she nailed both the comical and hard-hitting scenes, her voice making easy work of big solo numbers including Don’t Tell Mama and the iconic Cabaret.Cara said: “I wasn’t sure whether I should go and see it before I start, because Jake and Rebecca are both musicians and while I am [a musician], I’m not a singer in the same way.“I think everyone brings something different. I’m not great at being a carbon copy of someone else.”Cara will play Sally until June 1, and if the early reviews are anything to go by she has a glittering stage career beckoning.READ MORE SUN STORIESShe said last week before taking her first bow: “I feel more alive and on the edge of a nerve [than ever] and it’s so nice. It’s a wonderful place to be.“I haven’t done a play since school but it’s the reason why I’ve wanted to act for my whole life.”Cara at the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desertCredit: InstagramThe beauty and her mum Pandora at a ball in 2013Credit: Rex More

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      Moment Sheridan Smith is filmed crawling through streets of London for new stage role eight years after her breakdown

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      AS she crawls on hands and knees through the streets of London’s Soho while apparently drunk, shocked passers-by might assume Sheridan Smith is in the middle of another meltdown.But eight years after her public breakdown, the scene is all part of her brilliant new theatre show.Sheridan Smith crawls on her hands and knees through the streets of Soho while apparently drunk as part of a theatre showCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The SunSheridan has to stumble through the streets of Soho every nightCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The SunShe is watched bemused by passers-by as she plays drunkCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The SunIt comes eight years after the much-loved star had a public breakdownCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The SunAnd the much-loved star tells The Sun on Sunday that even in the midst of her own booze sessions, “I have never turned up crawling into the theatre”.The actress has embarked on a 21-week stint in new musical Opening Night at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre — based on the 1977 film about an alcoholic Broadway star who is left traumatised by the death of a teenage fan.Each night, Sheridan, 42, can be seen on her hands and knees outside the ­theatre as her character Myrtle Gordon turns up late to the first night of her show after hitting the bottle.The moment is filmed live and transmitted on to a screen for the audience inside the theatre, capturing the real crowds in Soho spilling on to the pavement from the bar next door.READ MORE ON SHERIDAN SMITHSheridan has described the role as a “sign” after she also hit rock bottom in 2016 while starring in London’s West End as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, cancelling one show 15 minutes into the performance.Now, she has admitted that her life has come full circle as she revisits the demons of her past on stage. Speaking backstage following her first show, she said: “It is kind of like therapy.”Breathing a sigh of relief, she added: “I love leaving it all on the stage. I have to say, it is quite fun doing that scene outside. Most read in Celebrity“I know my publicist doesn’t like it very much for safety reasons and she has a panic but I love it because it is live and so immersive.“My knees have taken a bit of a knock but it all adds to the excitement. Sheridan Smith looks almost unrecognisable as she swaps trademark blonde hair for a new dark brown doSheridan speaks to The Sun’s Emily WebberCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The Sun“It will be different every night which keeps it fresh as people will be crossing to the shops — it will be interesting.”Of the parallels between her former self and Myrtle, she said: “I am playing an actress but at least I can add a bit of my emotion to it, some true emotion. “It is very freeing. It has actually been really cathartic, just getting it all out.“It’s like I am back, doing it, you know? Taking ownership of it.“Tonight, those few hours just flew by and I had to go through all the different ­emotions and breakdowns.“It is a gift to be able to do this part.“I feel very honoured to be working with these people but it is not light and fun.“Everyone thinks it is going to be a big, fun musical but it is very, very dark.“It has beautiful music by Rufus Wainwright and the director, Ivo van Hove, is a genius. “It is a play within a play and ­everyone is just brilliant. It has been really therapeutic and fun.” She admits that her publicist isn’t hugely fond of her latest projectCredit: Gary Stone – Commissioned by The SunSheridan’s debut performance went down well, with the star greeted by swarms of fans eagerly waiting with their pens and ­programmes at the stage door.She said: “That is why you do it, for people to come and watch. I am kind of still on the ceiling. “I go through such emotions in the show and you have to take a minute to calm down afterwards.“They always come to support and it makes it all worthwhile. You put yourself through the turmoil but you do it for the loving people like that.”Over the years, the actress’s life story was seen as more turbulent than those of the characters she plays in gritty TV dramas.Sheridan was behind the wheel of her 4×4 in November 2021, apparently alongside her then-boyfriend Alex Lawler, when she veered off a narrow country road amid 60mph gales and icy conditions in Essex.‘Can’t explain grief’It came just 90 minutes before a pre-recorded episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, featuring ­Sheridan, aired on ITV after which it was reported that the actress had erupted in fury backstage, accusing the programme of “misogyny” and chauvinism and threatening to sack her team.But the backstage drama was just the tip of the iceberg for what Sheridan was going through at the time. Sheridan leans against a window on a bizarre night out in 2022Credit: BackGridIn 2011, crippling panic attacks during her sold-out run of Legally Blonde shows — which earned her an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical — marked the start of her spiral into ­depression and anxiety.This culminated in a breakdown following the news in 2016 that her dad Colin had been diagnosed with cancer. He passed away aged 80 in December of that year.Asked if she feels her personal life has overshadowed her award-winning credentials as an actress, Sheridan said: “I never really think I am that talented.“I went through a bad time and it was just the way it was. My dad wasn’t well and it was a time in my life.“Anyone who has grieved understands you go through a dark place sometimes. You can’t explain grief but it is coming out the other side of that which is the main thing.”In 2018, Sheridan met insurance broker Jamie Horn through dating app Tinder and reportedly got engaged just three months later.The couple welcomed son Billy in May 2020 but separated the following year.After turning things around, last year Sheridan received rave reviews for her one-woman West End show Shirley Valentine, which banked £4million in advance sales. She also confirmed a new relationship with boxer Dave Ryan.Asked if she finally has it all, Sheridan said: “Well, weirdly, this play is about ageing and this character doesn’t want to get older but I am actually OK with it. “I am feeling much better in my forties. I have got my son Billy, who is my absolute pride and joy and everything is for him.“I feel very lucky because sometimes it gets harder as you get older to find really good roles and this is an absolute dream part.”READ MORE SUN STORIESBut while Billy joined her on stage in his Toy Story pyjamas as she received a standing ovation for Shirley Valentine — which famously features the egg and chips dinner scene — he will have to skip her new show.Sheridan said: “This one is too dark. The egg and chips he was fine with — but not this one.” More