Sheridan Smith put our minds in a darkly comic spin at Sunderland Empire

Alan Ayckbourn’s play begins with a bang to the head. By the end of the evening I felt as if I’d been banged on the bonce too.

If you’re used to visiting the Empire for a bouncy musical ‘Woman In Mind’ is anything but.

Described as a darkly comic psychological drama ,this is a play that will draw you in, swirl your mind around and leave you feeling like you’ve accidentally trapped yourself in a washing machine and just emerged after the spin cycle.

The action starts with Susan (Sheridan Smith) having accidentally stood on a garden rake and poleaxed herself.

Knocking herself into a world of her own, as the drama unfolds she experiences more and more hallucinations as an alternative life she fantasises about – one with a loving, attentive partner, brother and daughter – replaces the existence she feels trapped in – one with a dull self-centred husband and an absent child.

Linking her two worlds together is Bill (Romesh Ranganathan in his first dramatic role). Romesh plays the part of the doctor trying to mend the split reality Susan is floating between.

Star names Sheridan and Ranganathan should help fill the Empire which along with Glasgow Theatre Royal next week is one of only two stops for the show outside of London.

However even without this excellent duo, ‘Woman In Mind’ (Clever title) is worthy of the standing ovation it received at its opening night on Wearside.

Director Michael Longhurst skilfully balances the blend of the real and the unreal in Susan’s mind. The bright colours of the costumes of the imaginary characters, compared to the relatively dull real life ones, further emphasises the attraction for Susan of the alternative life she has in mind.

Sheridan Smith has previously spoken about her own issues with alcohol and panic attacks while Romesh Ranganathan was searingly honest about his personal battle with mental health issues during an appearance on ‘Desert Island Discs’ last year.

For the two headliners to have such an insight into life’s difficulties only helps to make Ayckbourn’s drama more powerful and as relevant today as it was when it premiered four decades ago.

An excellent supporting cast led by Susan’s husband Gerald (Tim McMullan) and the put upon Muriel (Katie Buchholz); who herself reveals an alternative personality in the final scenes, contribute to making this a thought-provoking and intense production.

Undoubtedly though it is Sheridan Smith who holds the play together.

Renowned for playing vulnerable women, Smith’s nervous inability to stay still for more than a moment illustrates the breakdown she is enduring and reminds us that people living apparently simple lives may in fact be experiencing complex issues that require kindness and understanding.

Review by Rob Mason.

Woman in Mind is at the Sunderland Empire until Saturday 7 March 2026. Tickets available at Tickets available at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/woman-in-mind/sunderland-empire/