She sings the notes, some of them flatly, but her mezzo is well developed

Michael Coveney Daily Mail

While Robert Gore-Langton of the Daily Express was full of admiration, she had a more subdued impact on the Daily Mail's Michael Coveney.

Coveney wrote: "She does well. She knows the steps. She sings the notes, some of them flatly, but her mezzo is well developed."

But he stressed that Sweeney is "too darned nice" for the "hard-edged, calculating and above all vicious bitch" character of Roxie.

Claire Sweeney was described as "too darned nice" to be Roxie

In her favour Gore-Langton wrote: "Sassy and kooky, Ms Sweeney makes jailbird Roxie her own. It's a joyous debut of pure charm."

Even he conceded, however, that the real star of the show was the musical itself.

Sweeney's stage role follows a long stint in Channel 4's Merseyside soap Brookside, but her big break came in Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year.

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt of starring in a West End show and this is one of those times where the reality is even better than the dream

Claire Sweeney

It made her a household name and led to her being offered a role as presenter of ITV1's Challenge Of A Lifetime.

After she came offstage, Sweeney admitted she had had an "amazing year".

"Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt of starring in a West End show and this is one of those times where the reality is even better than the dream," she said.

Sweeney followed stars like Denise Van Outen and Ruthie Henshall in donning the skimpy outfits for the role of Roxie in the show at London's Adelphi Theatre.