Review: Teeth, Playhouse East

What is it like to be a tooth fairy? Floating into strangers’ homes in the middle of the night, collecting teeth and disappearing before anyone wakes. It is an unusual job that offers fleeting glimpses into people’s lives without ever truly knowing them. Teeth, presented at Playhouse East as part of the WIP Festival, takes this delightfully strange premise and turns it into something surprisingly touching.

The twist is that this exhausted, overworked and thoroughly underappreciated tooth fairy (Maira Vandiver) has been sent somewhere entirely unexpected: the home of an adult (Duru Agirbas) who has just lost a tooth. What begins as a surprise quickly becomes something much more complicated, as the circumstances around an adult losing a tooth are explored. The fairy and human find themselves trapped together, forced into an increasingly awkward conversation.

The comedy lands immediately. Much of the early humour comes from the sheer absurdity of the situation, with the fairy attempting to carry out a job and then becoming emotionally invested. There are plenty of wonderfully awkward exchanges, while the show’s playful world-building is full of inventive jokes. The discussion of the different fairy professions is particularly memorable, painting an amusing picture of a magical bureaucracy complete with job applications and career paths.

As the play progresses, however, it quietly shifts gears. The fantasy premise remains, but the focus moves towards the lonely woman living in the flat. Through her, Teeth explores body image, poverty and the way physical appearance becomes intertwined with confidence and mental wellbeing. The transition never feels forced. Instead, the comedy naturally gives way to something more thoughtful as both characters begin to reveal themselves.

Despite the fantastical set-up, the relationship that develops between the pair is completely believable. The writing allows them to connect in ways that feel emotionally honest, and before long the fairy tale premise fades into the background. I found myself invested not in the gimmick, but in the people.

Both performances are strong, with Vandiver bringing tremendous energy, warmth and comic timing to the role of the tooth fairy. Their constant balancing act between bureaucratic frustration and genuine compassion gives the character real depth. As the emotional stakes rise, the performances grow with them.

The final section takes an unexpectedly dark turn. What begins as sadness gradually becomes something genuinely shocking, revealing the lengths people will sometimes go to when they feel invisible. It is a twist that recontextualises much of what has come before without feeling manipulative. The production handles these shifts in tone with impressive confidence, moving nimbly between comedy, melancholy and tragedy while maintaining the audience’s investment throughout. This is particularly impressive given the single location and minimal staging.

Refreshingly, Teeth tells its story without irony or postmodern winks to the audience. Instead, it is sincere in its desire to explore loneliness and human connection through an imaginative fantasy lens.

As a work in progress, however, it occasionally feels constrained by the limits of its premise. I wanted to spend more time with these characters, particularly the woman whose circumstances remain only partially explored. The play raises fascinating questions about her life without fully answering them, leaving the impression that this is only the beginning of a larger story.

That ultimately feels like a positive criticism. Teeth shows considerable promise, delivering an inventive, funny and emotionally engaging hour that leaves you wanting to discover where these characters go next. For a work in progress, there can be few better compliments.

Written and directed by Estelle Warner
Design by Carl Maslowski

Teeth has now completed its run at Playhouse East. You can find out more about the WIP Festival below.