Sheridan Smith: “I lost confidence but it came back”

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To play this video, you need JavaScript enabled in your browser. < /figure>By Charlotte GallagherCulture Reporter

Sheridan Smith is one of Britain's best-known actresses, but her new role may be her most challenging yet day.

She stars in the musical Opening Night, about a star suffering from mental health problems who collapses on stage.

It's a part that Smith says is "close to the bone" after her own personal issues led her to temporarily step away from Funny Girl in the West End in 2016.

But the star, 42, says that after her "swings" and "getting covered in tattoos", she regained confidence in herself.

Opening Night, based on the 1977 film of the same name, follows a theater company preparing to put on a show on Broadway.

Music and lyrics are by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, while the show is directed by Olivier award-winning Ivo van Hove Award.

In the story, Myrtle, played by Smith, has a nervous breakdown after the death of one of her fans.