Sheridan Smith reunited with inspirational campaigner Ann Ming at our Sunderland restaurant
She’s been wowing audiences with her compelling performance in Woman in Mind at Sunderland Empire.
But in between treading the boards, Sheridan Smith took the opportunity to be reunited with the woman who inspired another of her powerful performances.
Sheridan recently won Best Performance for her role as Ann Ming in hard hitting ITV drama I Fought the Law at the prestigious Royal Television Society North East and the Borders annual TV Awards.
Teesside campaigner Ann fought tirelessly to bring Billy Dunlop, the killer of her daughter Julie Hogg, to justice after the 22-year-old was murdered in 1989.
Sheridan and Ann became close during filming for I Fought The Law and were reunited in Sunderland over a meal with Ann’s family at Italian restaurant Bianco in Green Terrace.
Bianco owner Edison Demiraj said he was delighted to have the two inspirational women in his restaurant.
“It was a pleasure to have Sheridan Smith in with us before the theatre in Sunderland. I Fought the Law is a very moving true story - if you haven’t seen this go and watch it and be ready to cry.”
Since opening in December 2023, Bianco has become a popular pre-theatre dining spot and Edison recently opened a sister site in Concord, Washington.
As part of her time in the city, Sheridan joined fellow cast and crew from Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind, which explores one woman’s mental health as she struggles reality with an imagined family life, to host an International Women’s Day event at Sunderland Empire.
Featuring local businesswomen, the Q&A raised money for Wearside Women in Need, who provide specialist domestic abuse services supporting women across Wearside.