Sheridan Smith on starring in a festive fairytale sequel: 'It’s so much fun!'

Sheridan Smith in Jack &the Beanstalk: After Ever After

Sheridan Smith on reuniting with David Williams for Sky One's quirky comedy sequel to much-loved fairytale Jack & the Beanstalk

Sitting next to Sheridan Smith in a dimly-lit trailer in Buckinghamshire is a very hairy, very scary-looking character who is claiming to be David Walliams. Wearing a huge prosthetic nose and with a face full of beard, we might just have to take his word for it!

We are chatting via video link to Sheridan during a break from filming Sky One’s family comedy, Jack & the Beanstalk: After Ever After, a follow-up to Walliams’ wickedly funny Cinderella sequel, which aired last Christmas.

In this imagining of what happens after the fairytale ends, Sheridan plays The Woman With No Name, a notorious giant slayer whose secret weapon is hidden beneath her eyepatch. She’s hot on the trail of the giant (played by Williams, who also co-wrote the story) and leads an angry mob of villagers, including a dodgy market stall trader (The Inbetweeners’ Blake Harrison) who sold young Jack the magic beans.

David Walliams as the giant in Jack & the Beanstalk: After Ever After

David Walliams as the giant in Jack & the Beanstalk: After Ever After

Here, Cilla and The Moorside star Sheridan Smith, 39, tell us why this Jack & the Beanstalk sequel is lots of fee-fi-fo… fun!

What can we expect from this twist on the classic tale?

Sheridan Smith: "David’s stories always have a love message, usually about someone fitting in, and I love that. Here, Jack and the giant become friends, but my character, The Woman With No Name, is the baddie. Despite being a bit of a loner, she’s renowned in the village for killing 37 giants. She kills them by taking out her glass eye and catapulting it with her eyepatch!"

Blake Harrison as Dodgy Dave the market stall trader who sold Jack the magic beans

Blake Harrison as Dodgy Dave the market stall trader who sold Jack the magic beans

Tell us about your costume…

SS: "Dressing up and being silly at work is great fun! My costume is like something out of the The Matrix film, with lots of leather, armour, belts and tools. I also have a prosthetic eye, and I decided to give her a West Country accent for some reason."

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You’ve previously starred in adaptations of David’s books Ratburger and Mr Stink. Why do you work so well together?

SS: "This is my first acting job since having my son, Billy, in May. I love working with David because I always get to play great roles and we have so much fun. I don’t normally get to kill giants with eyeballs, but I do have to endure David taking the mickey out of me all day!"

The Woman With No Name (Sheridan Smith) leads angry villagers

The Woman With No Name (Sheridan Smith) leads an angry mob of villagers

What are you looking forward to this Christmas?

SS: "I haven’t really enjoyed Christmas the last couple of years since my dad passed away, but it’s exciting again now I have my little boy. It’ll be our first proper Christmas as a family and I can’t wait. I also can’t wait for Billy to be old enough to watch this and say, ‘Look, there’s Mummy as a baddie!’ I think this is perfect festive family viewing and we need something like this for all the family this Christmas."

Jack & the Beanstalk: After Ever After airs on Sky One on Wednesday 23 December

Senior Writer for TV Times, TV & Satellite Week, What's On TV and whattowatch.com

Rebecca has more than 20 years' experience in journalism and is now writing about all things telly-related for TV Times, TV&Satellite Week, What’s On TV and whattowatch.com.

She’s interviewed all sorts of big-name stars, including Al Pacino, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hardy, Winona Ryder, Benedict Cumberbatch and more. She’s also been known to step in front of the camera, dressing up as a 1920s flapper to star in ITV’s Mr Selfridge and co-hosting ITV News at Ten with Mark Austin – all in the line of duty! 

When she’s not quizzing actors, directors and producers, you’ll find her bingeing US dramas and anything horror/sci-fi/zombie-themed. But her greatest love will always be Game of Thrones… just don’t mention the ending!