REVIEW: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Next Stage, The Mission Theatre, Bath

Next Stage has done a remarkable thing in following on from a series of super successful film and TV versions of this play and staging a production under the direction of Ann Garner that is quite captivating.

When an actress of the calibre of Maggie Smith delivers the definitive version of a character like Jean Brodie – much as Liza Minnelli made the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret all her own – it is difficult for subsequent actresses to convince in the part.

But Next Stage's Caroline Groom is superb in this demanding role, emulating Maggie Smith as much as she plays Miss Jean Brodie, but adding a touch of style that is all her own.

Miss Brodie holds her 'gels' – the crème de la crème - and the audience equally in thrall as she expounds her ideas on love, beauty and ideals and effortlessly outmanoeuvres headmistress Miss Mackay – another good performance by Joanna Bowman – who seeks to rein in her teaching methods.

The slower pace of a production unfolding in front of your seat, as opposed to a film, allows greater appreciation of the wickedly funny humour of Muriel Spark who wrote the original novel in 1961, and there are some extremely witty exchanges that had Tuesday's opening night audience guffawing.

Ian Garforth is brilliant as the naively dithering music teacher Gordon Lowther – who is quite clearly not cut out to be a philanderer, as Miss Brodie acidly points out when called to task on the advisability of spending her weekends on his estate.

Richard Matthews is also very good as the art teacher Teddy Lloyd who remains passionately in love with her despite fathering an increasing number of children during the course of the play and seducing dependable pupil Sandy who rebels so completely against Miss Brodie that she becomes her 'assassinator' and a nun.

The film version with Maggie Smith delighted us in 1969 and now, 40 years later, this stage production has the same effect all over again.

Jean Brodie says: "Give me a girl at an impressionable age and she is mine for ever." I should think that taking part in this latest production of Next Stage will make an equal impression on the youngsters who so ably and enthusiastically played her 'gels'.

Go and see it for a great night's entertainment.

It's on every night at 7.30pm until Saturday.

Jackie Chappell