"It would be easy to dismiss this play as old fashioned and sentimental, but that would be to ignore the genuine heart within the play: it is the warmth of Smith that grabs you and stays with you long after you leave the theatre."
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“As a country, we fell in love with this Liverpool housewife in the eighties, but all these years later we can fall in love again, because Sheridan Smith’s heartfelt portrayal of Shirley Valentine is the must-see theatre event of the year”
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“Matthew Dunster’s unfussy production knows that this is the Sheridan show, and allows her performance to take centre stage...What we are really here to see, though, is a performer of rare gifts at the top of her game.”
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“[The] ability to connect instantly and deeply with an audience ... pays remarkable dividends, overriding the hoary sections of the text and honoring the rest with a dignity ‘Shirley’ herself deserves.”
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“This is an expert revival, blessed with a true star performance, alive to every aspect of ‘Shirley Valentine’, from its big heart to its troubled soul.”
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“On the evidence of the performance I saw, which prompted a standing ovation, a star has been reborn. If we loved Smith before, we’re going to fall in love with her all over again.”
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“It is comic and hopeful and, in Smith’s gloriously vulnerable hands, sure to be a hit all over again.”
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“Here’s a perfect match between a star and a comfy but creaky star vehicle. Sheridan Smith has great warmth, impeccable timing and a rare ability to connect with an audience as an equal.”
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