Critics unimpressed with Roberts theatre debut

Critics were less than impressed with Julia Roberts' stage debut as her play Three Days Of Rain opened on Broadway.

"The star wattage, so evident on the screen, doesn't seem, at least in this case, to transfer to the stage," wrote The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, The New York Times critic wrote that the Oscar winner displayed "the unyielding stiffness of an industrial lamppost".

The opening night was attended by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, James Gandolfini and Susan Sarandon.

The play's producers do not have to worry about reviews affecting ticket sales because its short run has already sold out. Touts have reportedly been selling tickets for as much as $600 (€486.70) outside New York's Bernard B Jacobs Theatre.