She shocked her fans when she announced that she would be the last celebrity to take on the role of Jenny in the West End play, 2:22 A Ghost Story.
However, Cheryl’s switch to acting seems to be paying off, judging by the reviews of her performance on press night.
The Daily Mail
Claudia Connell praised Cheryl for her performance, saying, “As a stressed-out, sleep-deprived new mom, Cheryl is terrific.”
She added: ‘His movements on stage are less natural, quite stiff, in fact, and there are moments where I miss some of his dialogue.
“She also speaks with an annoying rising inflection where every statement sounds like a question.”
But despite this, Claudia said that Cheryl “rather holds her own in acting.”
Dominic Cavendish was full of praise for Cheryl, saying: “She proves to be a class act and, whisper it, she’s even the most low-key player on stage.”
She adds: “But when it comes to the confrontations with Sam, the rookie actress is not a rookie, and she brings something material, not marital real to the sets.”
Rachel Halliburton gushed, “Cheryl transcends the fact that she arrives on stage chased by celebrity glitz.”
She adds that the singer is “fun and down to earth like Jenny” and that she “proves that she’s more than capable of riding the emotional roller coaster.”
Rachel concludes, “Cheryl emerges from the ectoplasm with more than a shadow of a chance to take her stage career further.”
Says Arifa Akbar, “Cheryl convincingly plays nervous new mom Jenny,” but adds that co-star Jack Wood “is the play’s strongest bond.”
She adds: “Like her own X Factor moment, it’s respectable enough for a first try, albeit a hard-hitting one: big volume and sudden, thunderous anger.”
Nick Curtis calls Cheryl a ‘stunning event, in every way’ and asks, ‘But is Cheryl any good?’ before adding: “Actually, yes: certainly good enough to draw a new crowd to this chilling, relentlessly effective top.”
Says Alex Wood: “As for Cheryl, it’s safe to say she makes a confident debut; sure, the intonation wavers at times, while her angry outbursts can occasionally seem unexpected and one-note (then, so do most of the outbursts of those who suffer from sleep deprivation).
“For the most part, it will be a twist few critics will find major fault with.”
Says Andrzej Lukowski, “Pop star Cheryl delivers a perfectly solid performance in the latest iteration of the enduring West End chiller.”
He adds, “The bottom line is that she can act enough,” but that it’s not “a spectacular turn.”
He continues: “This isn’t some inept or embarrassing performance from Cheryl. She has a hard time projecting the timing, and the screaming bits feel a bit forced.
“But she nails her lines, has good comic timing, and generally does her bit by supporting the architecture of Robins’ work.”