Marie Claire (February 2010)

Best known for her role as Janet in sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, actress Sheridan Smith, 28, is now starring as Elle Woods in the West End musical version of Legally Blonde. She grew up in Epworth, Lincolnshire, with her musician brother Damien, 34, and her parents, Marilyn and Colin, who form country and western duo The Daltons.

What's it like being famous and from a small village?
Sheridan: It's one of those villages where everyone knows everyone. They're really supportive. Mum puts a piece in the local paper when I'm on telly, saying, 'Everyone watch Sheridan,' and I'm like, 'Mum, shuddup!' She brings coach trips down, too.
Marilyn: We're called the SAS - the Sheridan Appreciation Society.
Sheridan: [Laughing] Oh, stop it, Mum!

It must have been hard to see Sheridan move down to London.
Marilyn: We're a really close family so, thankfully, she comes home all the time.
Sheridan: When I have time off, I'm straight up on the M1 with my three dogs. Mum said I'm not allowed any more livestock!

You were only 16 when you left home to attend the National Youth Music Theatre. Was that a daunting prospect?
Sheridan: I did get really homesick, but it was exciting. I was this little naive 16-year-old living in a flat with five other teenages, and we used to live off jam sandwiches. It was amazing.
Marilyn: She lived with Hannah [Spearitt] from S Club 7. I came down to check it out, because it was those two and four boys squeezed into the other bedroom.

Did you give her any advice?
Marilyn: Just to be careful, and don't go wandering off on your own.
Sheridan: You used to tell me to march out like I knew where I was going and, if I had to take an A to Z with me, to hid it in my coat, so I could have a sneaky look.
Marilyn: If you're walking along the street hesitantly, you never know who might follow you or pounce on you.
Sheridan: Oh, you're so dramatic!
Marilyn: As a mother, you worry, especially with you being so far away.
Sheridan: A lot of parents wouldn't have allowed their baby to leave home so young, but mine were really supportive, because they knew how much I wanted to follow my dreams.
Marilyn: We're all very proud of her including her brother, Damian. She lost her first brother, lovely Julian. He died when he was 18.
Sheridan: I was only eight.
Marilyn: His cancer came from nowhere and he did all the treatment, but it just kept coming back. Both the children were very resilient to be able to get over that and get on with their lives and make a success of them. It shows strength of character. He would have been delighted wouldn't he, old Julian? Sorry, love.
Sheridan: I've never spoken about it before. It's nice to hear Mum talk about it, because we don't really discuss things like that. We haven't really spoken about Julian properly in years.

You've obviously got a strong relationship. Is there anything that's out of bounds?
Marilyn: Not really. Maybe, over the years, there have been different opinions - on boyfriends, for example.
Sheridan: I'm a fiesty one sometimes, but Mum rarely gets angry. You got on with all of my boyfriends, didn't you? But no one is going to be good enough for your little girl.

Is that true?
Marilyn: When she was with her ex-boyfriend [Tv funnyman James Corden], I read in the papers they'd bought two shih-tzu puppies, 'to celebrate their love'.
Sheridan: To celebrate our 'engagement' wasn't it?!
Marilyn: Oh yeah, he was gonna marry you. [Laughs.] So I'm hearing this for the first time and...
Sheridan: She went mad on the phone, and I'm like - it's not true! But you realise that now, don't you, Mum?
Marilyn: Yes. I did wonder about the dogs.

Group Leisure Magazine (February 2010)

Front Row Review: Legally Blonde The Musical


Currently buzzing in a hive of publicity, Rebekah Tailor went to check out Legally Blonde The Musical, the lastest Broadway import to storm the West End.
Based on the 2001 Hollywood hit starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde The Musical is the lastest Broadway import to storm the West End stage. Having written off the film version as just another girlish romcom - sufficiently enjoyable but ultimately unmemorable - I was expecting the musical to evoke a similar reaction.
Playing to a full house, despite the less-than-desirable weather conditions, what followed was 125-minutes of sheer entertainment - a colourful and fast-paced production, packed with hilarious comic moments and a dynamic cast - guaranteeing a feel-good factor to chase away the winter blues.
Standing by the film's original storyline, our leading lady is sorority sweetheart, Elle Woods, a vision in pink who heads in hot pursuit to Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Dumped by her boyfriend Warner Huntington III, who claims he needs 'a Jackie, not a Marilyn' Elle sets out to subvert her blonde stereotype, winning hearts along the way and proving the value of remaining true to yourself.
Legally Blonde is every bit as cheesy as the plotline suggests, and broken attempts to push the show's main message - always be true to yourself (in case you were wnodering) - are lost on an audience swept up in the unfolding comic action. This is no bad thing, especially at a time when sought-after escapism is preferential to a lesson in morality.
Sheridan Smith sparkles as sorority socialite turned Harvard law student, Elle Woods. Stealing every scene, and not just as a pillar of hot pink amongst the dreary 'Harvard chic' attire pageanted by her fellow cast members, Smith's flawless comic timing and sheer likeability elevate her as the uncontested star of the show. Jill Halfpenny was excellent as Paulette, the ditzy beautician with a big heart, as was Alex Gaumond, who plays love interest Emmett Forrest.
As with any production headlining an ensemble of celebrity names, while there is rarely any doubt about their ability to pull in audiences, there is always a slight scepticism with regards to how they will perform. For me, Peter Davison as Professor Callahan and Duncan James playing Elle's slippery ex-boyfriend Warner, just didn't make the grade. Despite a loyal fan base (judging by the chorus of cheers and whistles as the former boy band member made his entrance, the audience was clearly full of female admirers), their mediocre performances were further emphasised by the zeal of the other talented cast members. Personally, I was more enraptured by the canine members of the company; cute Chihuahua, Bruiser, and charismatic Bulldog, Rufus.
The action moves along swiftly, largely thanks to Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin's infectious musical score. The opening number, Omigod You Guys (yes, seriously), sets the light-hearted tone which carries the musical and promises to stay in your head for a long time afterwards, along with other memorable numbers, So Much Better and Bend and Snap (accompanying dance moves compulsory).
This modern musical score is superbly complemented by lively and polished choreography - including a nod to the Irish with a random tribute to Riverdance (confusin, quirkym, and yet it works). Worth a particular mention is the electric routine led by Aoife Mulholland (Brooke Wyndham) in the opening number of act two, Whipped into Shape, skilfuly choreographed with skipping ropes.
Props are cleverly used throughout the production, along with an imaginative stage set which lends itself to the production's comic elements. Who would have thought that a witness box and judge's pulpit could double up as a sink and toilet unit?
With the current hive of publicity surrounding Legally Blonde The Musical, and its array of big name personalities, I have no doubt that this fun-filled production will be an instant smash-hit, however the real test will be its longevity. Unlike the film, this musical version is immensely entertaining and memorable, both of which make for long-term success.