NEWS - SHERIDAN SMITH TO STAR IN ALAN AYCKBOURN’S WOMAN IN MIND AT THE DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE

Sheridan Smith returns to the West End in Alan Ayckbourn’s darkly comic masterpiece

Double Olivier Award-winning actress Sheridan Smith will return to the West End this Christmas in a brand-new revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. The production opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, for a strictly limited season from 9 December 2025 to 28 February 2026.

Following its West End run, the show will tour to the Sunderland Empire (4–7 March 2026) and the Theatre Royal, Glasgow (10–14 March 2026).

About Woman in Mind

Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind is a sharp, funny, and poignant exploration of fractured identity. The story follows Susan, a frustrated housewife, whose world dramatically shifts after a bump on the head leaves her navigating two realities: one mundane and one idealised. As the two collide, hilarity and heartbreak intertwine in a play that examines love, escape, and the complexity of the human mind.

Originally premiering in Scarborough in 1985 before a successful West End run in 1986, the play has seen celebrated revivals, most recently at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022.

Sheridan Smith Returns to the Duke of York’s

Sheridan Smith will star as Susan, marking her much-anticipated return to the Duke of York’s Theatre following her sell-out performance in Shirley Valentine.

Smith’s impressive stage credits include Opening Night (Gielgud Theatre), Funny Girl and Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (London Palladium), Flare Path (Theatre Royal Haymarket), and Into the Woods (Donmar Warehouse).

On screen, Smith has captivated audiences in Cilla, Mrs Biggs, The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps, and Gavin and Stacey. She currently stars in ITV’s I Fought the Law.

Creative Team

This new revival is helmed by acclaimed director Michael Longhurst, former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, whose recent credits include Next to Normal (Donmar/West End) and Much Ado About Nothing (RSC).

The creative team includes:

• Soutra Gilmour – Set & Costume Design

• Lee Curran – Lighting Design

• Paul Arditti – Sound Design

• Jim Carnahan CSA & Liz Fraser CSA – Casting

  
  

The production is produced by Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions.

Tickets

Tickets for Woman in Mind are on sale now from 11am, Thursday 18 September.

📍 London (Duke of York’s Theatre): 9 December 2025 – 28 February 2026

📍 Sunderland Empire: 4 – 7 March 2026

📍 Theatre Royal Glasgow: 10 – 14 March 2026