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Sheridan Smith to Lead Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Posted on | By Hay Brunsdon

Sheridan Smith will return to the West End this winter in a major new production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. Directed by Michael Longhurst, the play opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 9 December 2025, running until 28 February 2026, before heading on tour.

Ayckbourn’s groundbreaking psychological comedy follows Susan, who suffers a bump to the head and suddenly finds herself living in two overlapping worlds—one ordinary, the other imagined. As reality and fantasy collide, the play offers a witty yet unsettling look at identity, family, and the need for escape.



Smith, one of Britain’s most celebrated stage and screen actors, returns to the Duke of York’s following her acclaimed run in Shirley Valentine. Her extensive West End credits include Olivier Award-winning turns in Legally Blonde and Flare Path, as well as memorable performances in Funny Girl, Little Shop of Horrors and Hedda Gabler. On screen, she has won a BAFTA for Mrs Biggs, received Emmy nominations for Cilla and The C Word, and recently starred in The Railway Children Return and ITV’s I Fought the Law.

The creative team for Woman in Mind includes designer Soutra Gilmour, lighting by Lee Curran, sound by Paul Arditti, and casting by Jim Carnahan CSA and Liz Fraser CSA. Further casting will be announced shortly.

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By Hay Brunsdon

I've 15 years of writing and editorial experience, and starting working in the West End theatre industry in 2012. When not watching or writing about theatre I'm usually swimming, hiking, running, or training for triathlons in the Stroud valleys.