From snoring to clapping and getting drunk...Inside the theatre as Sheridan Smith gets set for the curtain call of Opening Night after producers announced show would end its West End run early

Sheridan Smith's critically slammed, fourth-wall breaking play Opening Night has been canned two months early - and a visit to London's Gielgud Theatre reveals patrons were falling asleep or walking out halfway through. Theatre-goers turned out in their hundreds to watch the first performance of Sheridan Smith's Opening Night since producers announced its run at the Gielgud Theatre in London was to be cut short The show stars Sheridan Smith as a washed-up actress whose life unravels as she prepares to take on a huge new Broadway play The fourth-wall shattering play sees Smith stumble out into the streets of London in a mock drunken stupor as her character comes undone Smith's performance is among the handful of positives cited by critics, including for the scenes in which she stumbles into the street, filmed live for the audience inside Fans queue up at the Gielgud Theatre to watch Sheridan Smith's Opening Night this evening Sheridan Smith seen acting out in the road in Soho while filming scenes for new musical Opening Night Theatregoers outside the theatre this evening during the interval of Opening Night Actor Danni said: 'It was terrible. Fans queue up at the Gielgud Theatre to watch Sheridan Smith's Opening Night tonight, which began at 7.30pm Some fans were forced to bring their theatre trip forward after the theatre contacted them to warn that the much-slated play was to close early Opening Night will now end its run at the Gielgud Theatre in London on Saturday May 18, two months earlier than originally planned on July 27 Announcing the news on Thursday, the production team said that the play 'may not have had the life we had hoped for' Sheridan was seen smiling, dressed down in a sweater and jogging bottoms, as she came away from the theatre after last night's performance. Performances of Opening Night each night have involved Sheridan Smith falling out of the theatre and staggering back along the street, playing drunk At one point in the show, Sheridan's character Myrtle takes a tumble outside while the rest of the cast gather around her A member of the door staff from a nearby venue says that the event conjures crowds every evening but that not everyone is aware the display is part of a performance In footage captured by MailOnline, Sheridan can be seen scrabbling on the ground outside the central London theatre Sheridan can be seen with her microphone on her head playing Myrtle Gordon in the street One passer-by commented how shocked he was at the lack of response from other people Sheridan said how she loves the unpredictability of improvising the scene each night 'At the end of the day, even though it's entertainment, it's a business and they are worried that poor ticket sales will mean they don't make their investment back. It was a zero out of ten for me' But local restaurant manager John Forte has welcomed the outdoor scenes as good for business, saying people are coming to 'watch her fall over in the street' then buy his food Supermarket worker Tanmay Singh says he first thought Sheridan's drunken acting was real Ms Smith as Myrtle Gordon in Opening Night, which had seen ticket prices recently slashed The actress, seen acting outside, has said she wanted to ensure her vocal delivery matched the standards set by US singer and composer Rufus Wainwright who wrote the music for the show Sheridan previously told MailOnline how despite her illustrious background in music and theatre, she still felt the need to have singing lessons 'People are coming out to watch her fall over in the street and then they come to my restaurant and buy food and drink.