Rebecca will channel personal story that created Self Esteem into stage role
Rebecca Lucy Taylor is about to play a challenging role that all but mirrors her own life.
The Anston-born actor/singer, aka Self Esteem, has been cast as Maggie, a bitter rock frontwoman in David Hare’s 'Teeth ’N’ Smiles.'
Maggie’s anger and exhaustion echo Taylor’s years in Slow Club band, when she felt trapped and unhappy despite their success.
Taylor has been open about how miserable those years left her.
She publicly revealed how she grew tired of sleeping on floors while touring and felt she was “ruining these lads’ fun” simply by not wanting to keep going.
She admitted she became “tired of being this sweet heterosexual lady in a band” – a persona she no longer recognised.
The Rotherham woman recalled long tours that drained her physically and emotionally, leaving her questioning what she was doing with her life.
Slow Club’s cheery reputation only deepened the conflict. While fans saw upbeat indie pop, Taylor felt stifled and unseen. It gradually eroded her confidence.
That gulf between public image and private feeling is exactly the kind of tension Maggie embodies on stage – a woman raging against the part she has been forced to play.
That unhappiness led the former Wales High School pupil to walk away in 2017 and go it alone.
The project she created – Self Esteem – was, as she put it, “the result of some serious soul-searching.”
Her solo career has since been marked by bold honesty, whether addressing misogyny in the music industry or her own battles with doubt. Every album and live show has been shaped by her determination never again to suppress her truth.
Now, stepping into Maggie’s shoes, Taylor will not have to imagine what it feels like to be a frontwoman worn down by expectation. She has lived it. Her contribution goes further too, she's updated the play’s original songs, weaving her own identity into the revival.
Directed by Daniel Raggett, the 50th anniversary production opens at London's Duke of York’s Theatre in March 2026, for 12 weeks.
For Taylor, it's not just another acting job, but a chance to use her own experience to bring Maggie to life. The unhappiness that once pushed her out of Slow Club is the very thing that makes her perfect for the part.