What happens when the smile starts to crack?
Funny, furious and achingly personal, this extraordinary work traces a woman’s journey from 1950s suburban America to the heart of a changing world, confronting family mythology, misogyny, ambition, motherhood and the cost of being “a good girl.”
Performed by Lahti herself in a tour-de-force role, The Smile of Her is a bold, deeply human exploration of the stories we inherit, the voices we silence and the fight to reclaim ourselves.
Producers are thrilled to share details for The Smile of Her, the acclaimed autobiographical play by Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti, which plays a strictly limited engagement at the Marylebone Theatre from Friday 10 July to Saturday 29 August 2026. The young actresses who will be playing the role of “Girl” alongside Lahti. They are Jesamine-Bleu Gibbs, previously seen in Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre and The Sound of Music at Chichester Festival Theatre, alongside Isabella Ford
Isabella is making her professional stage debut in the show, following advertising work including Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo) and theatre training with Spirit Young Performers Company. The two young actresses will be sharing the role across the 7-week run of performances. Directed by Mêlisa Annis, the production marks Lahti’s first UK stage appearance and the first London presentation of the deeply personal solo work she wrote and performs herself.
A celebrated stage actor, Lahti has appeared on Broadway and Off-Broadway in productions including Loose Ends, Fuckin A, The Heidi Chronicles, God of Carnage, Three Hotels (Drama Desk Nom.), Dreams of Falling, Dreams of Flying (Drama League Nom.), The Woods (Theatre World Award) and Little Murders (Obie Award). She played Gloria Steinem in the hit off-Broadway play Gloria: A Life, which also aired on PBS Great Performances, and was recently in the Jon Robin Baitz play I’ll Be Seeing Ya, for The Music Center in LA.
Christine Lahti said: “This first week of rehearsal has felt like an explosion of creativity- bringing my play to new life with our incredible director, Melisa Annis, and our two young actresses has been a joyous process!”Produced by Nina Tassler, Jenny Warburg and Wild Yak, in association with Gloria Steinem, The Smile of Her is directed by Mêlisa Annis and designed by Sarah Beaton, with sound design by David Gregory, lighting design by Matt Haskins and projection design by Matt Powell.
The Smile of Her received its world premiere at Berkshire Theatre Group in July 2023. The production was directed by Robert Egan under the artistic leadership of Kate Maguire.
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Rehearsal Images (c) Mark Senior
