Sheridan Smith to star in Bridget Jones the Musical

According to today's Independent Sheridan Smith has confirmed that she will be playing the title role in the new Bridget Jones the Musical which is scheduled to open in London's West End next year.

Working Title are the producers of the show with  Lily Allen set to provide the music. The actress has already had attended a workshop with Lily Allen, Helen Fielding (the book's author) and Stephen Daldry, who directed Billy Elliott

Smith said: "Every girl at some point feels like Bridget Jones. I'm constantly wearing Spanx, eating ice cream, and feeling a bit lonely. Bridget is great because she's more downtrodden. She falls over all the time, or makes an arse of herself and I'm totally like that."

Sheridan is hotly tipped to win the Best Actress in a Musical Olivier Award this Sunday for her performance as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical at the Savoy Theatre.  She has just opened to very good reviews in Terence Rattigan's Flare Path which she is appearing in with Sienna Miller at the Haymarket Theatre.