Self Esteem Revives David Hare's Teeth ’n’ Smiles
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- Rebecca Lucy Taylor (Self Esteem) is starring as Maggie Frisby in the West End revival of David Hare’s 1975 play Teeth ’n’ Smiles and has added extra music and lyrics.
- David Hare said the original 1975 Royal Court production, which starred Helen Mirren as Maggie Frisby, “blew a hole in the respectability” of the theatre and was a hit that “shook the plaster off the ceiling”.
- David Hare told a mid‑90s interview that he never expected Teeth ’n’ Smiles to be revived because it was “in touch with the mood of a particular time”.
- Rebecca Lucy Taylor draws parallels between the play’s 1960s music‑scene depiction and today’s industry, citing the “lack of duty of care towards performers” and the impact of TikTok, AI, and “conveyor‑belt” music production.
- Phil Daniels plays the band manager Saraffian in the revival, a character whose obsession with 1950s British pop and con‑man image mirrors real‑life Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who reportedly loved the original play and saw its punk‑like direction.
- David Hare notes that the play contains a frantic song “Bastards” and a reference to “Last Orders on the Titanic,” which later appeared in a punk‑anticipating NME essay, suggesting a modest prophetic quality toward punk.
- Rebecca Lucy Taylor says she wants the revival to make audiences uncomfortable, reflecting the play’s themes of disillusionment and “the bullshit” of the music industry.
Why it matters: The revival gives Self Esteem a high‑profile stage to voice criticism of today’s music‑industry practices, while audiences receive a rare glimpse of David Hare’s 1975 critique of fame, drugs and neglect, potentially reshaping public conversation about performer welfare and may inspire other artists to demand better duty‑of‑care standards.
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