Sheridan Smith ensured all eyes were on her as she arrived at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday.
The actress, 42, wore a sheer black dress as she posed outside the famous concert hall, with her body art on display on her leg.
Her garment reached right down to the ground and was adorned with shimmering rhinestones.
She wore a pair of black heels to add a few inches to her stature and accessorised with a glamorous costume necklace and earrings for the evening.
Stage and screen star Sheridan stopped to greet fans and have her picture taken with them on arrival.
Sheridan Smith ensured all eyes were on her as she arrived at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday
The actress, 42, wore a sheer black dress as she posed outside the famous concert hall, with her body art on display on her leg
She carried a mirrored silver clutch purse shaped like a pair of lips with her.
Sheridan is nominated at this year’s Olivier Awards in the Best Actress category for playing the title role in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London.
It comes after the producers of a London musical starring Sheridan cut the production’s run short amid what they called a ‘challenging financial landscape’.
Opening Night, based on the 1970s film of the same name about an actress in mental turmoil, had been due to run until July 27 in the West End.
Producers Wessex Grove, Gavin Kalin Productions and Playful Productions announced on Thursday that it would end at the Gielgud Theatre on May 18.
Wessex Grove said that it had been an ‘honour to produce this beautiful new musical’ and thanked director Ivo Van Hove and Rufus Wainwright, who wrote the music and lyrics, and actress Smith.
It added: ‘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.
‘Our world class cast delivers a brilliant show night after night, and there are still five weeks left to see Sheridan Smith in the role of a lifetime. What is sure-fire and safe has its place.’
Her garment reached right down to the ground and was adorned with shimmering rhinestones
She wore a pair of black heels to add a few inches to her stature and accessorised with a glamorous costume necklace and earrings for the evening
Gavin & Stacey actress Sheridan plays leading lady Myrtle who, following witnessing a death, spins out of control while a theatre tries to stage a new play.
Van Hove 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.
‘It will forever have a special place in my heart. 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.’
Theatreland will pay homage to the greatest performances of the year when the 2024 Olivier Awards with Mastercard get underway at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday evening.
Launched in 1976, the annual ceremony – widely regarded as the most prestigious of its kind – honours the best of London’s vibrant West End theatre schedule.
Sunday’s show will once again be presented by seasoned stage and screen star Hannah Waddingham, who returns for the second consecutive year following her consummate job as compere in 2023.
Stage and screen star Sheridan stopped to greet fans and have her picture taken with them on arrival
Sheridan is nominated at this year’s Olivier Awards in the Best Actress category for playing the title role in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London (pictured for the play)
Shirley Valentine, which was also made into a 1989 movie with Pauline Collins, is a one-woman-show which tells the story of a working class housewife from Liverpool
Waddingham will open the event with singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe, and the ceremony finale will mark the National Theatre’s 60th anniversary.
Performances are expected from best new musical nominees including The Little Big Things, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat and A Strange Loop, alongside best musical revival nominees Guys & Dolls and Hadestown
Individual presenters on the night will include Dominic West, Michael Ball, Michael Sheen, Rosalind Plowright, Sir Lenny Henry and Michelle Visage.
Nominations for the 2024 ceremony were announced on March 12, with Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Snook and Sheridan Smith all receiving nods.
Hollywood star Sarah Jessica Parker is also nominated for Best Actress courtesy of her role in Plaza Suite; she will battle it out against Sheridan for Shirley Valentine and Sarah for her remarkable one-woman performance of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
James Norton and Andrew Scott are also in the running Best Actor for their performances in A Little Life and Vanya, respectively.
Nicole’s hit musical Sunset Boulevard scored an impressive feat by landing 11 nominations, including best actress in a musical while her co-star Tom Francis is up for best actor in a musical.
The Pussycat Doll plays Norma Desmond in the atmospheric musical which is currently on its third West End revival at the Savoy theatre.
It comes after the producers of a London musical starring Sheridan cut the production’s run short amid what they called a ‘challenging financial landscape’ (Sheridan, centre, pictured in the troubled play Opening Night)
Opening Night (pictured) will now end its run at the Gielgud Theatre in London on Saturday May 18, two months earlier than originally planned on July 27
Sarah, known for her starring role in HBO series Succession, plays an impressive 26 characters in the one-woman West End production of Oscar Wilde’s A Picture Of Dorian Gray.
She stars as male characters including Gray and Basil Hallward as well as female characters such as actress Sibyl Vane.
Adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Company’s artistic director Kip Williams, the play has already had successful runs in Adelaide, Auckland and Melbourne with actress Eryn Jean Norvill starring.
Meanwhile former Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica is starring alongside her husband Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre.
This latest revival, which is considered a limited run, kicked off on January 17, and is expected to go for 10 weeks, until March 30.
In the play, originally was performed on Broadway’s Plymouth Theatre in 1968, the two world-class actors play three different couples in one famous hotel room.
Meanwhile, James and Andrew are up against David Tennant for Macbeth and Joseph Fiennes in Dear England for Best Actor.
Dear England, written by James Graham, sees Joseph star as England manager Gareth Southgate for the play at the National Theatre.
The play shines a light on the pressures of penalties and Gareth’s ‘cultural reform’ of the England men’s national team in his six years as manager.
It is nominated for nine awards including Joseph for Best Actor, Gina McKee for Best Actress in a supporting role, Rupert Goold for Best Director and Best New Play.
Andrew brings to life multiple characters in adapter and co-creators Simon Stephens’ radical new version of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.
Comedic and tragic, Anton’s examination of people’s shared humanity – hopes, dreams, regrets – is thrust into sharp focus in the production.
This play explores the ‘kaleidoscope of human emotions, harnessing the power of the intimate bond between actor and audience to delve deeper into the human psyche’.