Sheridan Smith is set to light up West End this Christmas, in a resuscitation of Alan Ayckbourn Female woman.
The psychological comedy is scheduled to open on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 and will run for a limited season at the Duke of York’s theater in central London and marks Smith’s return to the arena after her triumphant driving in Shirley Valentine last year.
Directed by former Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Longhurst (Next to normal) and produced by Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin ProductionsThe piece will see Sheridan play the role of Susan, an unhappy priest who imagines the perfect life for herself where her family and career lineup perfectly.
After its stint in London, the show will visit Sunderland Empire from March 4 to March 7, 2026 and Theater Royal, Glasgow from March 10 to March 14, 2026.
Tickets for Woman in mind are for sale now!
Alan Ayckbourn Female woman First premiere in 1985 at Stephen Joseph Theater in Scarborough, before transferring to London’s West End 1986. It marked a turning point in Ayckbourn’s career, and showed a darker and more mental complex style than his previous comedies.
The game follows Susan, a neglected housewife, whose retreat to a vibrant fantasy life gradually blurs with reality. Noteworthy to be told completely from Susan’s perspective – including moments where the audience sees the world when she perceives it – the piece was praised for her inventive structure and emotional depth, and cement its reputation as one of Ayckburn’s most powerful and innovative works.
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