Photos: THE SMILE OF HER In Rehearsal at the Marylebone Theatre

See new rehearsal images 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, with opening night on Thursday 16 July.

The young actresses who will be playing the role of “Girl” alongside Lahti are Jesamine-Bleu Gibbs, previously seen in Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre and The Sound of Music at Chichester Festival Theatre, alongside Isabella Ford who 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.

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.

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.

Christine Lahti first came to prominence opposite Al Pacino in ...And Justice For All, before earning an Academy Award nomination, her first of eight Golden Globe nominations, and the N.Y. Film Critics Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ in the film Swing Shift.

Her acclaimed career spans film, television and theatre; her 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 (Golden Globe for ‘Best Actress in a MiniSeries’ & Emmy Award nom.), Law and Order SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Running on Empty (LA Film Critics Award, Golden Globe nom.), Amerika (Golden Globe nom., Emmy nom.), Jack & Bobby (Golden Globe nom. & Prism Award winner), Hawaii Five-0 & The Blacklist.

Her recent credits include CBS show Evil, created by Michelle and Robert King, which earned her a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress, 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 (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.

Photo Credit: Mark Senior

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