There are some performances that simply stay with you – for days, months, or years even after you’ve watched them - and a prime example is Sheridan Smith's star turn in Cilla. The 5-star drama, which is available to binge on ITV tonight, stars Sheridan as the late singer and entertainer Cilla Black – and her performance is so compelling it’s almost impossible to stop watching.
The brilliance of the series comes not only from Sheridan’s superb acting but her singing, too. The biopic charts Cilla’s rise from bored office worker to singing superstar, with Sheridan performing all her own vocals. Even Cilla herself was impressed, especially given Sheridan wore custom false teeth for the role!
With the drama now available to stream, here’s everything you need to know about Cilla before you tune in, including the full plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Cilla about?
The three-part series brings to life the story of iconic Liverpudlian Cilla Black, from her early career to her friendship with Ringo Starr and her subsequent rise to fame. Sheridan Smith plays the singer and TV presenter - and her performance is nothing short of extraordinary.
The biopic takes us to the very beginning of Cilla’s story when she was known as Priscilla White and worked as a typist while performing at Liverpool’s Cavern Club in her spare time. Eventually, she would go on to audition for the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein and record her debut single, Love of the Loved, before later becoming one of the highest paid hosts on TV.
The series sees Sheridan perform some of Cilla’s greatest hits and she underwent months of vocal training to prepare for the role. Her performance saw her named best actress at the 2015 Broadcasting Press Guild awards and she was even applauded by Cilla herself, who told Digital Spy that it was a “great honour” to be portrayed by the star.
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Cilla added in an interview with the Radio Times: “She's prettier than me, a better actor, obviously, and captures the essence of the young me.
“How she sang with those teeth in I'll never know. From what I've seen, it [the drama] captures the colour and even the smell of the Cavern Club. It wasn't nice - rat poison and sweat.”
Who’s in the cast of Cilla?
The cast of Cilla includes:
- Sheridan Smith (I Fought the Law) as Cilla Black
- Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen) as Bobby Willis
- Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs) as Brian Epstein
- Danny Burns (Doctors) as Johnny Hutchinson
- Jack Farthing (Poldark) as John Lennon
- John Henshaw (Downton Abbey) as John White
- Melanie Hill (Meadowlands) as Priscilla White
- Kevin Mains (Stonemouth) as Paul McCartney
- Tom Dunlea (The Guvnors) as Ringo Starr
- Michael Hawkins (The Hill) as George Harrison
Is there a trailer for Cilla?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Cilla below.
Is Cilla any good?
Yes – as biopics go, it’s up there with the best of them. As ever, Sheridan Smith completely absorbs herself in the role and her singing voice is truly incredible. The result is a series that's warm, funny, and fans of Cilla Black will no doubt find it a real emotional trip down memory lane.
How can I watch Cilla?
Cilla is available to watch now on ITVX.
What other Sheridan Smith dramas can I watch now?
Another brilliant series rooted in real life is Four Lives. The series stars Sheridan as the mother of Anthony Walgate, one of the four young gay men murdered by Stephen Port between June 2014 and September 2015. It’s a gut-wrenching watch that focuses on the plight of the victims’ family and friends to get justice. Four Lives is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. For something fictional, we’d recommend Cleaning Up. The six-part crime drama revolves around Sam (Sheridan), a struggling single mother who takes a job as a cleaner in London. Sam is also a recovering gambling addict and, in her new job, she discovers she has access to potentially lucrative stock market information, which she can’t resist using to her advantage. You can watch Cleaning Up now on ITVX.
