Teeth ’ n’ Smiles is not quite a musical. David Hare’s 1975 play about rock’n’roll includes a handful of tunes performed by a group of failing musicians. It feels like several dramas rammed together. One strand concerns the aimless witter of instrumentalists who lounge around backstage discussing drugs and groupies. Another strand follows the lead singer, Maggie, and her destructive appetites for booze and casual sex.

The third element concerns the band’s manager, Saraffian (Phil Daniels), who knows nothing about showbusiness and seems keen to advertise his ignorance to the world. Saraffian is a Dickensian figure who talks like Fagin and believes that pop stars should resemble school prefects. The play is set in 1969 and yet he declares that English music reached its zenith in 1956. He hasn’t heard of the Beatles, apparently.

James Stokes delivers a breathtaking range of subtle and painterly effects

James Stokes delivers a breathtaking range of subtle and painterly effects

His role in the drama is to deal with the troublesome Maggie by forcing her to leave the band even though she’s their finest asset. And here she comes. Staggering out of her dressing room, Maggie gives a drunken interview to a student journalist in which she showcases her latest........

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