Sheridan Smith's Funny Girl could go to Broadway in Brit theatre invasion

Theatre empire ATG could be paving the way for a new British invasion of the US - with Funny Girl star Sheridan Smith among the first to benefit.

Its founders Sir Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire recently signed a deal to reopen Broadway’s Hudson Theatre, and already own its neighbour the Lyric.

The couple’s firm owns more than 40 venues, including the Donmar Warehouse, the Phoenix and the Savoy - where Funny Girl is due to open in April after a run at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Smith plays Fanny Brice, the role made famous by Barbra Streisand. Sir Howard said the show — and Smith — could go to Broadway.

“Nothing is fully decided but it’s really a possibility,” he said. “One of the things about having theatres on Broadway is we can take great British talent and hit London shows to New York.

"I’ve been producing on Broadway since the early Eighties but you are always in someone else’s theatre, which has its own restrictions.”

The couple are also bringing talent in the other direction. Next month former Friends actor Matthew Perry will star in The End Of Longing, also his debut as a playwright, at the Playhouse Theatre.

ATG is likely to expand again this year — Sir Howard said they are looking at “two or three different” sites in the capital and hope to build a new venue to sit alongside their historic theatres.

Ms Squire said she thought London audiences would continue to flock to theatres despite grumbles over ticket prices — which she said are “much cheaper” than in New York — and even the threat of terror attacks.

“I think after the Paris attacks people were worried but London is very resilient,” she added.

“I don’t mean that in a glib ‘London can take it’ way but you’re talking about a city where theatres stayed open during the Blitz.”