When asked whether she would like to reprise the role on Broadway, Smith told the BBC, "I'd be daft if I said no. I would love to, that's my dream. But would they take a Lincolnshire girl to do a New York-Brooklyn girl? There's so many American girls who could play this part, so I'm just grateful to be doing it here. Who knows how long this journey will last, but I will love every second of it."

No plans for a Broadway transfer have been announced.

About taking on the role originated onstage by Barbara Streisand, who also preserved her work on screen, Smith explained, "There is only one Barbra Streisand, so the key to it is putting your own stamp on it and to remember that the story is about Fanny Brice. It's her biography — and not Barbra Streisand's — which people get confused about."

The production will conclude its Menier Chocolate Factory run March 5, 2016. It is then slated to transfer to the West End's Savoy Theatre, beginning performances April 9.

Funny Girl has music by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill. The book is by Isobel Lennart; it has been revised for this production by four-time Tony winner Fierstein.