New Jean Brodie Opens at National Today

The newly revised version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Fiona Shaw, opens today in the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton venue. The production, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, is currently booking to October 1998.

The new version by Jay Presson Allen is adapted from the 1966 play based on the 1961 novel by Muriel Spark. Also a well-known film, it tells the story of an eccentric Scottish teacher who is both a positive and negative influence upon her students who she attempts to transform into the ‘crème de la crème of the school.

Shaw has recently appeared in the RNT production of T.S.Eliot's The Waste Land at Wilton's Music Hall and is well known for her previous work in the RNT's Richard II in which she played the monarch. Phyllida Lloyd s credits include the RNT's Way of the World, in which Shaw also featured, What the Butler Saw (RNT and on tour), Dona Rosita (Almeida) and Hysteria (Duke of York s).

Shaw is joined by a large cast including Annette Badland (as ‘Miss Mackay ), Adam Kotz (‘Gordon Lowther ), Nicholas Le Prevost (‘Teddy Lloyd ), Pauline Lynch (‘Mary MacGregor ), Camilla Power (‘Jenny ), Nicola Wheeler (‘Monica ), Susannah Wise (‘Sandy ) and members of the Finchley Children's Music Group.

Following the run at the Lyttelton Theatre, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will tour for four weeks with the original cast. Stops for the autumn tour (27 October to 21 November) will include Cardiff, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

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