Cheryl sheds a tear onstage during her West End debut as Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh look on

Cheryl broke down in tears on Wednesday night when she took the stage during the press night of 2:22 A Ghost Story, making her West End debut at London’s Lyric Theatre.

The former singer, 39, received a standing ovation following her performance, in which she played the lead role of Jenny, replacing former star Laura Whitmore.

And supporting her in the front row were former Girls Aloud bandmates Kimberley Walsh, 41, and Nicola Roberts, 37, who were beaming with pride for the star.

After a flawless performance, a source in the audience told MailOnline: “Tears could be seen rolling down Cheryl’s cheeks during the stage call, which saw the cast receive a standing ovation.”

They added: “Right up front, cheering her on, were her Girls Aloud bandmates Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts, along with Lauren Silverman. There was not a single hiccup during the performance.

“She has certainly proven herself worthy of the role as fans were blown away by the performance,” the source concluded.

Taking her final curtsy, Cheryl, with a slight tear, flashed a big smile to the audience as she raised an arm in the air.

Applauding her cast and crewmates, co-stars Scott Karim and Louise Ford joined her onstage as they took their final bows.

Cheryl played a woman named Jenny who becomes convinced that her house is haunted by a supernatural spirit on the show.

And for the role, she dressed in a burgundy floral print dress with a high neck, long sleeve design, with a khaki cardigan over the top.

But ready for the after party once the pressure was off, she swapped out her costume for a beige high neck maxi dress with a ruched design.

While her brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, two sections were left to frame her face and a bright palette of makeup was added.

Former bandmates and close friends Kimberley and Nicola stayed on to extend their congratulations to Cheryl, beaming at the snaps together after the show.

The lady of the hour was at the center of her old friends as they partied at Soho’s 100 Wardour Street.

Nicola looked stunning in a shiny black mini dress with green trim and button details, and she added a pair of black fishnet stockings to the ensemble.

As she raised her height in a pair of black platform heels, she traded in her long tresses for a choppy copper bob.

Kimberley was on the other side in a long black dress with red and green floral details.

Adding pointed-toe black shoes to the ensemble, she paired the look with bright red lipstick and a radiant makeup palette.

Sharing a clip on social media as they prepared for the show beforehand, Nicola wrote to her 348,000 Instagram followers: “Ready for our girl.”

And even though it was her first West End show, Cheryl insisted she wasn’t too nervous.

She told BBC London this week: ‘No, I mean a fair amount of nerves in previews which I think is normal, I’d be worried about myself if I didn’t have any. But not excessively nervous, no.