Sheridan Smith's West End musical Opening Night to close early

Image source, Opening Night/Gielgud Theatre

Image caption, Sheridan Smith plays an actress whose mental health deteriorates after the death of one of her fans
  • Author, Helen Bushby
  • Role, Culture reporter

West End musical Opening Night, which stars Sheridan Smith, is to close two months early, with producers blaming "a challenging financial landscape".

Smith plays a star with mental health problems who unravels on stage.

Director Ivo Van Hove said it was "always sad" when a show is cut short.

It received mixed reviews, with calling it a "sludgy travesty", while praised Smith but said the show is a "catastrophic musical misfire".

called Smith "superb" and hailed the show as "glittering and extravagantly original".

Video caption, Sheridan Smith on how she drew on her own mental health experiences for her latest role

In a statement announcing the closure, Van Hove called Smith "exceptional", saying she "had the bravery to play such a complex role in the West End".

He added: "I know that Opening Night will live long in the memories of those who saw it and made it."

However, there had been the theatre before the show ended.

Producers Wessex Grove 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."

It has music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and had been scheduled to end on 27 July, but the last performance will now be on 18 May.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Part of the performance took place outside the theatre

Speaking before its opening last month, Smith told the 大象传媒 her role may be her most challenging yet.

Part of the performance takes place outside the Gielgud Theatre, with Smith's character Myrtle collapsing outside the stage door in a drunken state while the scene is projected onto screens inside the auditorium.

It is based on the 1977 film of the same name by John Cassavetes, and follows a theatre company preparing to stage a show on Broadway.