Sheridan Smith’s Opening Night to close two months early

Sheridan Smith’s West End musical, Opening Night, will be shut down two months early following poor reviews from critics and audience members.

The musical will now be ending its short run at the Gielgud Theatre in London on May 18, just over two months from the original ending which was planned for July 27.

Announcing the news on Thursday, the production team Wessex Grove cited a “challenging financial landscape” and said the musical was “always a risk”.

They said: “In a challenging financial landscape, Opening Night was always a risk and, while the production may not have had the life we had hoped for, we feel immensely proud of the risk we took and of this extraordinary production.”

Smith, 42, stars in the musical about an ageing thespian who has a nervous breakdown following the accidental death of one her fans. It received reviews ranging from one to four stars after its official opening.

The actress and singer recently implored people to come and see Opening Night after it was slammed by audience members who claimed it was “boring,” with some walking out halfway through.

The show, which is based on the 1977 film of the same name starring John Cassavetes, reportedly baffled theatregoers with its plot and ticket prices were slashed last week on various websites.

One audience member who made an early exit at a performance earlier this month, named Helen, said: “I didn’t have a clue what was going on. It’s not Sheridan – she’s a great actress – but I was falling asleep.”

The show includes an immersive segment in which Smith’s character, Myrtle, collapses in a drunken state outside the stage doors with the scenes projected onto screens inside.

This part of the performance was also hit by problems when Smith was unable to stray too far from the theatre because of a nearby crime scene.

She told The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio: “Security wouldn’t let me go out too far the other night because someone was being arrested and restrained.

“I was like, ‘It’s fine, it doesn’t matter’ and they were like, ‘No, no you can’t go too far over that way’. So I had to start the scene a bit closer to the stage door.”

She has also spoken about how the location of the theatre can cause issues for this part of the show, explaining: “It’s right between two pubs, so people are all outside hammered and they want to come and try and help me.”

Speaking about the show’s early cancellation, director and writer Ivo Van Van Hove defended Smith as “brave” for accepting the complex role.

He said: “I had the most wonderful and inspiring time making Opening Night thanks to the talent and commitment of our incredible cast and production team.

“They were led by the exceptional Sheridan Smith, who had the bravery to play such a complex role in the West End. I try to be fearless and sincere in everything I make.

“With Rufus’s beautiful music, we made something totally unique and true to John Cassavetes’ daring exploration of the human condition.”

He added that it will “forever have a place in my heart,” saying: “It is always sad when a show closes early but I know that Opening Night will live long in the memories of those who saw it and made it.”

Producers Wessex Grove also said that while shows that are “sure-dire and safe” have their place, the company exists to “produce great artists in the West End and to provide the space for original, artist-led productions in the commercial sector, productions exactly like Opening Night.”

Smith, who is known for roles in TV dramas Cilla and Mrs Biggs, for which she won a Bafta, said the plot has parallels with her own troubles which resulted in her pulling out of Funny Girl in 2016.

She said: “I have been in my own mental crisis before, which was quite well publicised, so there are definitely parts of myself that I can bring to the character.

“I had a wobble, covered myself in tattoos. I lost a lot of confidence around that time, but it has come back thankfully, due to friends and supportive people.”