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Opening Night review: Sheridan Smith defies director's bid to ruin her big night with a cheekiness and vulnerability as dangerous as it is riveting, writes PATRICK MARMION


What an extraordinary theatrical mash-up Opening Night is. It's almost as if this studiously obtuse new musical was designed to sabotage its fabulous leading lady, Sheridan Smith.

It's almost as if this studiously obtuse new musical which opened in the West End last night was designed to sabotage its fabulous leading lady, Sheridan Smith. Based on a long-forgotten John Cassavetes film of the same title from 1977, it's about a Broadway actress, Myrtle, having a nervous breakdown after witnessing the death of a young fan outside the theatre. A spectacular duet with Nicola Hughes as an exasperated writer character even brought to mind the brassy swagger of All That Jazz, the 1979 film starring Roy Scheider.

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PARICK MARIMION

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Sheridan Smith

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