The show premiered on 27 March 2012 at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, directed by Ed Curtis and choreographed by Nick Winston.

Susan goes to The Happy Valley pub's karaoke night, presided over by an Elvis-imitating compere who fancies himself the best singer around ("Something Tells Me").

The jealous compere foreshadows subsequent criticisms, saying that while Susan can sing, the only reason the pub crowd reacted as they did was because they weren't expecting it, and felt they owed her an apology for thinking she was a daftie.

She decides that since singing is the only thing she's good at, she should take lessons, and goes to see voice teacher Fred O'Neil.

Grieving, Bridie and Susan express their farewells to Patrick (Medley: "How Great Thou Art", "The Prayer" and "Scarlet Ribbons").

She meets her fellow audition hopefuls, a collection of clowns, blue-wigged tap dancers and musicians of several sorts ("Stuck in the Middle with You").

As the broadcast time approaches, Susan tries unsuccessfully to get the priest, the crossing guard, and a neighbour to be sure to watch the show Saturday night without telling them why.

The media hounds Susan and goads her into outbursts of profanity to write about in their papers, with headlines like "Hairy Angel, Never Been Kissed" ("Mad World").

Then come the broadcasts of the semi-final and final, where after seventeen agonising seconds an exhausted Susan hears that she finished as runner-up to the Diversity dance troupe.

Susan is afraid of singing in front of people, but Andy tells her that she won't have to, because she'll be in the studio making an album.

Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph wrote in his 5-star review: "The overall shape of the show is hard to fault, and in matching the gutsy good humour of its heroine without stooping to hagiography, this is a delight that deserves to go far, and fast, as she has done.

"[8] John Dixon's 5-star review in WhatsOnStage.com concluded: "The scene where Susan’s father ... dies is one of the most emotional I have seen on stage, while those backstage at the auditions for BGT are nothing short of inspirational.

"[9] Neil Norman, in the Daily Express, also gave a 5-star review, writing: "The script is terrific, with proper acknowledgement of the envy Boyle's success sparked in others, the toll it took on her health both mental and physical and her initial treatment by the savage apostates of the press.

"[10] Libby Purves in The Times gave the musical a 4-star review, writing: "Kennedy Aitchinson's cunning arrangements and Ed Curtis' deft direction use juke-boxery better than I have ever seen.

"[11][12] Lisa Verrico added a 4-star review in The Sunday Times, writing: "A simple set suits the gutsy, glitz-free production.

[15] Alun Palmer in the Daily Mirror was one of few dissenting voices, writing, "only an exuberant working of "Stuck in the Middle With You" ... adds a level of humour and polish to what is rather leaden fare.

"[16] In the ChronicleLive, however, Gordon Barr wrote: "If you are lucky enough to have Susan perform at the end of the show, it is the icing on an already delicious and multi-layered cake!