In April 2019, Smith returned to the London stage for the first time in 12 years, starring in "A German Life". The new play by Christopher Hampton was drawn from the life and testimony of Brunhilde Pomsel (1911–2017), in which Smith was alone on stage, performing a 100-minute-long monologue to the audience. Jonathan Kent took the directorial role. Her performance won her a record sixth Best Actress "Evening Standard" award. In September 2019, a continuation of the "Downton Abbey" series in form of a feature-length film was in theaters entitled simply, "Downton Abbey". The film was a financial success, and earned $194.3 million at the box office.