Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti will make her London stage debut this summer in her critically acclaimed autobiographical play, The Smile of Her. The deeply personal solo production is scheduled for a strictly limited engagement at the Marylebone Theatre, running from July 10th to August 29, 2026, with a national press night set for Thursday, July 16th.
Directed by Mêlisa Annis, the upcoming run marks Lahti’s first-ever stage appearance in the United Kingdom, bringing a tour-de-force solo work that she both penned and performs herself. Described as funny, furious, and achingly intimate, the narrative chronicles a woman’s expansive journey from 1950s suburban America through the heart of a rapidly shifting world. The piece serves as a bold, deeply human exploration of inherited family mythologies, institutionalized misogyny, personal ambition, motherhood, and the heavy emotional cost historically associated with being a "good girl."
"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," Lahti shared, reflecting on the announcement. "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."
Presented by producers Nina Tassler, Jenny Warburg, and Wild Yak, in close association with iconic activist Gloria Steinem, the creative production features scenic design by Sarah Beaton, lighting by Matt Haskins, and sound by David Gregory. The piece initially received its world premiere at the Berkshire Theatre Group in July 2023.
Lahti first achieved widespread cinematic prominence opposite Al Pacino in ...And Justice For All, launching a celebrated multi-decade career that bridges film, television, and theatre. Her prestigious screen credits include her Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role in Chicago Hope, Running on Empty, and recent acclaimed turns in CBS's Evil and Fire Country. Tickets for the 90-minute production are available now via the Marylebone Theatre box office.
