Award-winning actor, writer and director Christine Lahti will make her London stage debut this summer in her acclaimed autobiographical play The Smile of Her, running at the Marylebone Theatre from 10 July to 29 August 2026.
Directed by Mêlisa Annis, the production marks both Lahti’s first UK stage appearance and the London premiere of the deeply personal solo work, which she wrote and performs herself.
A Funny, Fierce and Personal Story
Part memoir, part social commentary, The Smile of Her follows a woman’s journey from 1950s suburban America into a rapidly changing world. Along the way, it explores family myths, misogyny, ambition, motherhood and the pressures placed on women to remain agreeable at all costs.
Funny, moving and often provocative, the one-woman show examines the stories we inherit, the voices we suppress and the challenge of reclaiming our own identity.
Speaking about the production, Lahti said: “I am thrilled to be bringing The Smile of Her to London, and to be making my London stage debut at Marylebone Theatre with a piece that is so deeply personal to me. This play began as an attempt to understand the stories I inherited, the silences I grew up inside and the ways women are taught to smile through pain, anger and ambition. It is funny, painful, full of love and, I hope, ultimately liberating. To share it with London audiences for the first time is incredibly meaningful.”
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.”
An Acclaimed Career Across Stage and Screen
Lahti first came to prominence opposite Al Pacino in …And Justice For All before earning an Academy Award nomination for Swing Shift. Her distinguished career has since spanned film, television and theatre, with notable credits including Chicago Hope, Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Blacklist, Hawaii Five-0 and, more recently, Evil and Fire Country.
A celebrated stage performer, she has appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Heidi Chronicles, God of Carnage and Gloria: A Life, in which she portrayed Gloria Steinem.
Lahti first came to prominence opposite Al Pacino in …And Justice For All before earning an Academy Award nomination for Swing Shift. Her distinguished career has since spanned film, television and theatre, with notable credits including Chicago Hope, Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Blacklist, Hawaii Five-0 and, more recently, Evil and Fire Country.
A celebrated stage performer, she has appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Heidi Chronicles, God of Carnage and Gloria: A Life, in which she portrayed Gloria Steinem.
Behind the Production
Produced by Nina Tassler, Jenny Warburg and Wild Yak in association with Gloria Steinem, the creative team includes designer Sarah Beaton, sound designer David Gregory, lighting designer Matt Haskins and projection designer Matt Powell.
The play received its world premiere at Berkshire Theatre Group in 2023 and now arrives in London for a strictly limited summer engagement.
Booking Information
Dates: 10 July–29 August.
Performance Schedule: Tuesday–Saturday at 7.00pm; 3.00pm Saturday and Sunday.
Venue: Marylebone Theatre, Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT.
Box Office: Tel 02077237984 | Email [email protected] | Website www.marylebonetheatre.com
