Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti will make her London stage debut this summer in her autobiographical play The Smile of Her, which will run at Marylebone Theatre for a strictly limited run this July.
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.
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.
Produced by Nina Tassler, Jenny Warburg and Wild Yak, in association with Gloria Steinem, The Smile of Her is 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.
Lahti first rose to fame opposite Al Pacino in …And Justice For All, before earning an Academy Award nomination, her first of eight Golden Globe nominations, and the NY Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Swing Shift.
Her career spans film, television and theatre – major credits include Chicago Hope, for which she has won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for Best Actress, No Place like Home, Law & Order SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Running on Empty, Amerika, Jack & Bobby, Hawaii Five-0 and The Blacklist.
Her recent credits include CBS show Evil, created by Michelle and Robert King, and a recurring part in Fire Country on CBS. Bird in Hand, her latest feature film, directed by Melody C Roscher, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2025.
Her directing work includes the Academy Award-winning short film Lieberman in Love and the feature film My First Mister, which opened the Sundance Film Festival.
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, Dreams of Falling, Dreams of Flying, The Woods and Little Murders. She played Gloria Steinem in 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.
Top image: The Smile of Her poster (image supplied)