Sheridan Smith shines in this dark musical play centred around the unravelling of a troubled actress, Myrtle, as she prepares for the opening night of her new Broadway play, The Second Woman.

John Cassavettes’ Opening Night is a confusing multi-layered story with complex undertones, punctuated by songs written by Rufus Wainwright. The lyrics form part of the narrative as we follow the cast of the play, within a play, as they try to hold it together whilst Myrtle experiences a breakdown, exacerbated by a traumatic accident she witnesses right outside her theatre.

There are many similarities between Myrtle and her character in The Second Woman (Veronica) but there also appear to be many similarities between Smith and Myrtle. Smith clearly has empathy for this character and as a result, she plays an actress fighting her demons convincingly.

Sheridan Smith’s voice carries Wainwright’s dark lyrics well. The play is overly complex, however, with a number of storylines, standpoints, characters and scenes. The narrative is difficult to follow with a number of unnecessary turns. Smith wears the weight of trauma well and the way in which she shares her emotions helps the audience to navigate some of the complex scenes successfully, but not all of them.

Jan Verweyveld’s set design adds yet another dimension, with many scenes delivered using a documentary style large screen, with sections filmed off stage, and even outside of the theatre. This level of focus allows us to engage in the detail more than we would ordinarily at the theatre.

Amy Lennox’s Dorothy is a stoic presence; her ‘married’ is a highlight, as is Nicola Hughes’ warning that ‘life is thin’, but the strongest supporting performance comes from Shira Haas as haunting Nancy, the obsessive fan, a constant reminder to Myrtle of her lost youth.

As we prepare for opening night with Myrtle, via the rehearsal process and her complex relationships with the men around her, we are asked to explore the expectations placed on women as they age and how relationships, success, and experiences impact on that, resulting in an innovative, yet confusing piece of theatre.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Cara Brazier

Opening Night is currently booking at the Gielgud Theatre until 27 July, with tickets available here.