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Award-winning actress Sheridan Smith has played some demanding roles over her career but says her current one – playing Shirley Valentine in the West End – is her toughest yet.
At the moment, Sheridan is finding herself in tears at the end of every evening. Not that she’s unhappy. Anything but. Her tears are ones of absolute joy as she receives a standing ovation for her portrayal of Shirley Valentine at London’s Duke of York’s theatre. Unlike the 1989 film of Willy Russell’s play which starred Pauline Collins, the play was originally written as a one woman show and so Sheridan is playing all the parts – ie: Costas, Shirley’s Greek lover; Shirley’s kids; her husband Joe; her old school friend…Critics have hailed her performance as the theatrical event of the year.
“It is the biggest challenge I’ve ever set myself,” says Sheridan, “It’s basically like a two-hour long monologue – terrifying, true, but so exciting. When Willy first approached me about playing Shirley, I was so excited I dropped the phone. It is an absolute dream of a part for me. Willy is such a brilliant writer – it’s amazing how he manages to get inside the mind of a woman. It’s quite rare for a male playwright to be able to do that.”
Sheridan Smith plays Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s theatre, London until June 3 – shirleyvalentineonstage.com