First look: Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind

First look: Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan in Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind

31-12-25

First look production images have been released for Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind, starring Sheridan Smith and Romesh Ranganathan, ahead of the production’s limited UK tour following its West End run.

For Matinee listeners, Sheridan Smith is a familiar and much-loved voice. A regular presence on the station and one of the most versatile performers of her generation, she returns to the stage in one of Ayckbourn’s most psychologically complex and darkly funny plays. Smith plays Susan, a woman whose sense of reality begins to unravel after a seemingly minor accident. What follows is a disorientating and often hilarious exploration of imagination, emotional escape and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Romesh Ranganathan appears as Bill, marking his West End stage debut in the role. Known for his sharp observational humour and hugely successful broadcasting career, Ranganathan brings a contemporary edge to Ayckbourn’s unsettling domestic world, grounding the comedy while allowing the play’s darker undercurrents to surface.

The cast also includes Louise Brealey as Muriel, Tim McMullan as Gerald, Sule Rimi as Andy, Chris Jenks as Tony, Safia Oakley-Green as Lucy and Taylor Uttley as Rick, with Katie Buchholz and Michael Woolfitt completing the company.

Directed by Michael Longhurst, this revival leans into the emotional precision of Ayckbourn’s writing while embracing the play’s surreal theatrical language. When Susan’s imagined world begins to intrude into her real one, Woman in Mind becomes both a comedy of manners and a quietly devastating study of mental escape, loneliness and self-preservation.

The production’s visual world mirrors that fractured reality. Set and costume design is by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting by Lee Curran and sound design by Paul Arditti, all working together to blur the line between the imagined and the real. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Liz Fraser.

The production is currently running at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London until 28 February 2026. Following its West End run, Woman in Mind will tour to just two UK venues for limited engagements, visiting Sunderland Empire from 4 to 7 March 2026, before heading to Theatre Royal, Glasgow from 10 to 14 March 2026.

For audiences who know Sheridan Smith through her music, television work and regular appearances on Matinee, this production offers a rare chance to see her tackle one of Ayckbourn’s most demanding roles live on stage. With a tightly limited tour and a stellar cast, Woman in Mind promises to be one of the most talked-about theatrical events of early 2026.

Get tickets from the official site HERE