Christine Lahti's autobiographical show The Smile of Her at Marylebone theatre attempts to address family life, mother-daughter misunderstandings, her career, second-wave feminism, and #MeToo reflections—all within 90 minutes. The result is a rushed narrative that lacks depth and dramatic intensity.
Plot and Performance
Lahti stands on Sarah Beaton's near-empty stage, with occasional neon lights and a white sofa covered in "upscale plastic" to evoke the sterility of her 1950s Michigan home. Under Mêlisa Annis's direction, a young actor (Isabella Ford on press night) represents Lahti's child self, adding some drama but not enough. The play walks through her life from childhood to college to her acting career, including being told she is too tall and not pretty enough, and facing the casting couch culture.
Themes and Missed Opportunities
Lahti describes her family as a midwestern version of the Von Trapps on steroids, referring to her parents' insistence on plastic-covered happiness despite turbulence. She touches on mental illness, rape, and untimely death but only briefly, summarizing outcomes without exploring them in depth. The narrative continues chronologically, blurring focus and preventing vivid drama.
According to the review, the show includes reminiscences of achievements, with a back-screen showing images of Lahti and a video clip about winning a Golden Globe while in the toilet. The tone is a strange mix, with the march of autobiography pulling against depth. The reviewer notes that much is shocking, tragic, and incendiary but not given enough oxygen to unleash its power.
Final Verdict
The Smile of Her runs at Marylebone theatre, London, until 29 August. It seems like a play about everything, its focus too broad to carry resonant drama.
