Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions have announced a landmark revival of David Hare’s Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a 12-week run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from March 2026.
The production will star Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, marking her West End play debut. The revival will be directed by Daniel Raggett, with further casting and creative team details to be revealed soon.
Rebecca Lucy Taylor said, “I’m deeply honoured to be bringing Teeth ‘n’ Smiles back for its 50th anniversary. I love to challenge myself in new forms and I can’t wait to slap you round the face with Maggie. I am a huge fan of Daniel and David’s work, and the chance to collaborate with them on such a landmark production is something I am insanely excited about.”
David Hare commented, “I can’t think of anything more exciting than watching Rebecca Lucy Taylor and Dan Raggett strip the varnish off my old play. It’s a perfect moment to see if a new generation responds to that 70s mix of hope, drugs, music, sex and despair.”
Daniel Raggett added, “I first read David’s play over a decade ago and it seared itself into my brain. I’ve wanted to direct it ever since and – thanks to the vision of Wessex Grove – I feel so lucky to be working on this revival alongside David, Nick, Tony and the incomparable Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who brings the whole thing alive as Maggie. Like me, she responded to this fifty-year-old play as if it were written yesterday and there couldn’t be a better time for it to come roaring back into the West End. An extraordinary picture of a world, and a band, tearing itself apart at the seams – shot through with some really great songs – its spirit of rock n roll revolution/desperate howl of defiance feels just as pertinent now as it did in 1975.”
Originally premiered in 1975, Teeth ‘n’ Smiles follows Maggie Frisby, a once-iconic voice of 60s counterculture, now broke and disillusioned. As her band’s dreams of rebellion unravel, Maggie fights through the night with booze, rage, and a voice that refuses to die.
The revival will feature music by Nick Bicât and lyrics by Tony Bicât, with new additional music and lyrics by Rebecca Lucy Taylor.
Taylor returns to the stage following her acclaimed run as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, where her performance was extended due to popular demand.
Her music career has seen her rise from cult favourite to mainstream icon, with albums Prioritise Pleasure and A Complicated Woman earning critical acclaim and multiple award nominations. Her debut book, also titled A Complicated Woman, will be released on 30 October.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
