Everything you need to know about 'Teeth 'n' Smiles'

David Hare's play about a disillusioned rock band receives a 50th anniversary production starring Rebecca Lucy Taylor.

Summary

• David Hare's play was first performed in the West End in 1976
• The lead role of Maggie was originated by Helen Mirren and is now played by Rebecca Lucy Taylor
• The production is directed by Daniel Raggett
• The show plays at the Duke of York's Theatre from 13 March to 6 June 2026

Here’s something to smile about! David Hare’s play with music Teeth ‘n’ Smiles receives a 50th anniversary this spring with a West End revival at the Duke of York’s Theatre. This new production stars the actor and singer-songwriter Rebecca Lucy Taylor (AKA Self Esteem), who also provides some new songs. The production plays from 13 March to 6 June 2026 at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles was first performed at the Royal Court in 1975 before transferring to the West End the following year. Helen Mirren originated the role of Maggie, the passionate frontwoman of a rock band that enjoyed a swift rise and is now collapsing. The play was most recently revived in Sheffield in 2002.

Says Hare: “It’s thrilling for me to watch Rebecca Lucy Taylor and a brilliant ensemble revive the play that shook the plaster off the ceiling of the Royal Court Theatre just fifty years ago.”

Book Teeth ‘n’ Smiles tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is Teeth ‘n’ Smiles about?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles follows Maggie Frisby, who was once a trailblazer and the brightest star of the Swinging Sixties’ musical counterculture. By 1969, however, Maggie and her band are performing to an indifferent audience at a ball at Cambridge University and are broke, burned out, and fuelled by alcohol and resentment. Nevertheless, Maggie’s extraordinary voice will not be silenced. David Hare’s play is filled with rebellious energy and gritty resilience that remains as powerful as ever, especially regarding women in the music industry.

In his memoir About Hare, the playwright remarked: “I would say that Teeth ‘n’ Smiles is about the fag-end of idealism. It’s about utopianism when it turned sour. It’s about that stage people reach when they will do anything for an experience, and having originally enjoyed the vitality of the experience, they then become addicted to the experience.”

Who wrote Teeth ‘n’ Smiles?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles is by David Hare, whose first play, Slag, was produced in 1970. Hare is an eight-time Olivier Award nominee and has won twice, for Racing Demon (1990) and Skylight (1996). His other plays include Plenty, Pravda (with Howard Brenton), Amy’s View, The Blue Room, Gethsemane, and Straight Line Crazy. As a screenwriter, he earned Oscar nominations for The Hours and The Reader. Hare’s latest play Grace Pervades, about the Victorian-era actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, begins a limited run at Theatre Royal Haymarket in April, starring Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison.

The play also features music by brothers Nick Bicât and lyrics by Tony Bicât, both of whom are prolific songwriters for theatre, film, and television. Rebecca Lucy Taylor also contributes some original compositions to the new production.

What is the production history of Teeth ‘n’ Smiles?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in September 1975 and subsequently transferred to the West End. The role of Maggie was originated by Helen Mirren, who was then best known for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other cast members included Antony Sher, Cherie Lunghi, and Jack Shepherd.

The play was then produced at Oxford Playhouse in 1977 and at Nottingham Playhouse in 1979. It was most recently seen at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in 2002.

Where is Teeth ‘n’ Smiles being performed?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles will be performed at the Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane. This playhouse seats approximately 640 audience members. The venue also hosted the West End premieres of David Hare’s The Judas Kiss (2013) and The Moderate Soprano (2013) (both transferred from Hampstead Theatre).

When is Teeth ‘n’ Smiles being performed?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles plays from 13 March to 6 June 2026. Performances take place from Mondays to Fridays at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm.

How long is Teeth ‘n’ Smiles?

The running time of Teeth ‘n’ Smiles is 2hr 20mins, including interval.

Who is in the cast of Teeth ‘n’ Smiles?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles is led by Rebecca Lucy Taylor (also known as Self Esteem) as Maggie. A singer, instrumentalist, and composer, she has released the studio albums Compliments Please, Prioritise Pleasure, and A Complicated Woman. She is known for her candid lyrics about contemporary womanhood. She composed the music for the play Prima Facie and made her West End debut as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in 2023 opposite the Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears as the Emcee. Says Taylor: “I love to challenge myself in new forms and I can’t wait to slap you round the face with Maggie”.

The cast also includes Michael Fox as Arthur, Phil Daniels as Sarrafian, Bill Caple as Nash, Michael Abubakar as Wilson, Samuel Jordan as Smegs, Jojo Macari as Peyote, Noah Weatherby as Inch, Joseph Evans as Randolph, Aysha Kala as Laura, Christopher Patrick Nolan as Snead, and Roman Asde as Anson, with Gregor Milne, Damien James, Levi Heaton, Guy Amos and Daniel Crespin.

Who is in the Teeth ‘n’ Smiles creative team?

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles is directed by Daniel Raggett, who has previously directed Anna X and Accidental Death of an Anarchist in the West End. The production features set design by Chloe Lamford (The Estate), costume design by fashion designer Alex Mullins, lighting by Matt Daw (Lord of the Flies), and sound by Ben and Max Ringham (Bacchae).

What are some fun facts about Teeth ‘n’ Smiles?

• Helen Mirren based her interpretation of Maggie on Janis Joplin. In an interview with the New Musical Express, she commented: “I’m very like Maggie in many ways, only she’s much more ballsy and gutsy than me. I endorse most of what Maggie says, in fact in many ways it’s difficult to talk about her because I feel so close to her”.
• The May Ball (a Cambridge University tradition that takes place after exams in June) that frames the play takes place at Jesus College, Cambridge, of which Hare himself is an alumnus.
• A rock band blowing itself apart is also the central motif of David Adjmi’s play Stereophonic, which was seen in the West End last year. Another notable play about rock music is Tom Stoppard’s Rock n Roll.

Book Teeth ‘n’ Smiles tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: Rebecca Lucy Taylor. (Photo by Jono White)