AS she crawls on hands and knees through the streets of London’s Soho while apparently drunk, shocked passers-by might assume Sheridan Smith is in the middle of another meltdown.

But eight years after her public breakdown, the scene is all part of her brilliant new theatre show.

7

7

And the much-loved star tells The Sun on Sunday that even in the midst of her own booze sessions, “I have never turned up crawling into the theatre”.

The actress has embarked on a 21-week stint in new musical Opening Night at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre — based on the 1977 film about an alcoholic Broadway star who is left traumatised by the death of a teenage fan.

Each night, Sheridan, 42, can be seen on her hands and knees outside the ­theatre as her character Myrtle Gordon turns up late to the first night of her show after hitting the bottle.

The moment is filmed live and transmitted on to a screen for the audience inside the theatre, capturing the real crowds in Soho spilling on to the pavement from the bar next door.

Sheridan has described the role as a “sign” after she also hit rock bottom in 2016 while starring in London’s West End as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, cancelling one show 15 minutes into the performance.

Now, she has admitted that her life has come full circle as she revisits the demons of her past on stage.

Speaking backstage following her first show, she said: “It is kind of like therapy.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she added: “I love leaving it all on the stage. I have to say, it is quite fun doing that scene outside.

“I know my publicist doesn’t like it very much for safety reasons and she has a panic but I love it because it is live and so immersive.

“My knees have taken a bit of a knock but it all adds to the excitement.

7

7

“It will be different every night which keeps it fresh as people will be crossing to the shops — it will be interesting.”

Of the parallels between her former self and Myrtle, she said: “I am playing an actress but at least I can add a bit of my emotion to it, some true emotion.

“It is very freeing. It has actually been really cathartic, just getting it all out.

“It’s like I am back, doing it, you know? Taking ownership of it.

“Tonight, those few hours just flew by and I had to go through all the different ­emotions and breakdowns.

“It is a gift to be able to do this part.

“I feel very honoured to be working with these people but it is not light and fun.

“Everyone thinks it is going to be a big, fun musical but it is very, very dark.

“It has beautiful music by Rufus Wainwright and the director, Ivo van Hove, is a genius.

“It is a play within a play and ­everyone is just brilliant. It has been really therapeutic and fun.”

7

7

Sheridan’s debut performance went down well, with the star greeted by swarms of fans eagerly waiting with their pens and ­programmes at the stage door.

She said: “That is why you do it, for people to come and watch. I am kind of still on the ceiling.

“I go through such emotions in the show and you have to take a minute to calm down afterwards.

“They always come to support and it makes it all worthwhile. You put yourself through the turmoil but you do it for the loving people like that.”

Over the years, the actress’s life story was seen as more turbulent than those of the characters she plays in gritty TV dramas.

Sheridan was behind the wheel of her 4×4 in November 2021, apparently alongside her then-boyfriend Alex Lawler, when she veered off a narrow country road amid 60mph gales and icy conditions in Essex.

‘Can’t explain grief’

It came just 90 minutes before a pre-recorded episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, featuring ­Sheridan, aired on ITV after which it was reported that the actress had erupted in fury backstage, accusing the programme of “misogyny” and chauvinism and threatening to sack her team.

But the backstage drama was just the tip of the iceberg for what Sheridan was going through at the time.

7

In 2011, crippling panic attacks during her sold-out run of Legally Blonde shows — which earned her an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical — marked the start of her spiral into ­depression and anxiety.

This culminated in a breakdown following the news in 2016 that her dad Colin had been diagnosed with cancer.

He passed away aged 80 in December of that year.

Asked if she feels her personal life has overshadowed her award-winning credentials as an actress, Sheridan said: “I never really think I am that talented.

“I went through a bad time and it was just the way it was. My dad wasn’t well and it was a time in my life.

“Anyone who has grieved understands you go through a dark place sometimes. You can’t explain grief but it is coming out the other side of that which is the main thing.”

In 2018, Sheridan met insurance broker Jamie Horn through dating app Tinder and reportedly got engaged just three months later.

The couple welcomed son Billy in May 2020 but separated the following year.

After turning things around, last year Sheridan received rave reviews for her one-woman West End show Shirley Valentine, which banked £4million in advance sales.

She also confirmed a new relationship with boxer Dave Ryan.

Asked if she finally has it all, Sheridan said: “Well, weirdly, this play is about ageing and this character doesn’t want to get older but I am actually OK with it.

“I am feeling much better in my forties. I have got my son Billy, who is my absolute pride and joy and everything is for him.

“I feel very lucky because sometimes it gets harder as you get older to find really good roles and this is an absolute dream part.”

But while Billy joined her on stage in his Toy Story pyjamas as she received a standing ovation for Shirley Valentine — which famously features the egg and chips dinner scene — he will have to skip her new show.

Sheridan said: “This one is too dark. The egg and chips he was fine with — but not this one.”