The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – National Theatre of Scotland – faultless, flawless, impressive, and quite simply, sumptuous (Theatre review) 5 stars *****

Murial Spark’s novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie has occupied curriculum space within Scottish schools for years, and rightly so. It is a novel of tremendous beauty which has a theatricality not just around the central character of Jean Brodie herself but also in the way in which Muriel Spark layers the surrounding characters. Their tragedies heighten the world circling around the central character making her aloofness, arrogance, and manipulation the very height of dramatic poise. 

Based upon a real teacher, Miss Kay, at the James Gillespie School for Girls, at which Muriel Spark was a pupil, Brodie stands like a colossus above her pupils: The Brodie Set, her ‘creme de la crème’. Fighting against traditional theories of education, Brodie attempts to mould her charges into free thinkers, whilst at the same time admiring the thoughts and views of the fascists in Italy under Il Duce, Benito Mussolini. 

As a backdrop, it is easy to think this is all that the narrative has to offer, but this is a story of betrayal. Sandie Stranger, her protégé with whom she shares a lover in Teddy Loyd, betrays her first by telling on her, and then converts to Roman Catholicism which is as close to unforgivable as possible for Brodie. 

Adapter David Harrower has taken the story and downplayed the connection to fascism which works well. In his programme notes Harrower reminds us that at the time the novel is set, the British government were particularly content and happy to promote Mussolini and his government and therefore Brodie’s thinking was hardly out of step. 

It focuses the narrative on Brodie and her relationship with her pupils which heightens the effectiveness of the central figure, Brodie herself. Directed by Vicki Featherstone, the founding artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland when the body was created 20 years ago, this production has allowed her to rediscover Brodie as a figure of interest rather than a cultural icon. Directed with great skill, she gives us a Brodie that dominates but also allows other characters to flourish within a strong narrative structure. 

Gayle Rankin as Brodie is imperious, faultless, flawless, impressive and quite simply, sumptuous to watch. She is not the only one to shine, As the indomitable Miss Mackay, Maureen Beattie showers her with more humanity than calvinistic condemnation and less of the stridency other interpretations have given her – it adds humanity to the production. 

As Gordon Lowther, Brian Ferguson shows his haplessness and the hopeless nature of his infatuation with the unattainable Brodie before giving into anger at Brodie’s own betrayal of his hopes. Dyfan Dwyfor, meanwhile as Terry Lloyd, has the mercurial talents of the art teacher in spades – you can see why he would be the focal point of infatuation. 

As for the girls, Liberty Black as the tragic Mary McGregor, is perfectly pitched, as Joyce Emily Hammond, Sophie Fortune brings her naiveté and desire to impress as believable tragedy, Bobby Rainsbury as Sandie Stranger grows as Brodie’s equal over the two acts, Tallulah Greive as Monica Douglas brings knowledge beyond her years of the future tragedy to unfold, and Shreya Khaund Marshall as Jenny Gray is fantastic and completes the five anchors of The Brodie Set who give exceptional performances. 

Technically, the set is inspired. It’s a platformed set with levels which hint at fascist Nuremberg-style rallies – it physically promotes conformity. The hanging round curtain above the stage with lighting is used well, especially when Brodie is disassembled and changed from a colossus to an abandoned character in later life stuck centre stage in a chair. It is poignant as she waits for visitors who she once commanded. 

Lewis Den Hertog’s video work is incredible, and the imagery of classic sculpture and architecture continues to show how theatre arts are massively important in giving backdrop as a contributing effect. Costume was fascinating, particularly Brodie’s power play throughout. 

Brodie is a classic and Harrower has proven why it should remain so. The National Theatre of Scotland has created a production that will live long in the memory. I was surrounded by plenty of young voices dragged there, no doubt, by their schools. They laughed uproariously at many of the aphorisms and insults thrown about by Brodie, one way proving that the novel chimes with a modern audience. 

Reviewed on Wednesday 21st October 2026

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie continues on tour to

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, 29th till 31st October and then to the

Pitlochry Festival Theatre 4th till 7th of November.

Photo credit: Gayle Rankin