Gayle Rankin delivers a powerhouse performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Mihaela Bodlovic
Miss Jean Brodie is in her absolute prime – thanks to a simply astonishing performance by Gayle Rankin.
She totally inhabits one of the most iconic characters in Scottish literature, filling Muriel Spark’s compelling creation with dazzling life - all glittering charisma - but with a dark and dangerous undercurrent at her heart.
It is her tour-de-force performance that makes the National Theatre of Scotland’s stage version of The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie one of the most outstanding productions to have graced the state of His Majesty’s Theatre.
The story of this complex, shocking, glamorous and fascinating teacher who draws young girls – and male teachers – to her like moths to a brilliant flame is rightly a classic piece of literature.
Set in a posh Edinburgh girls' school in the 1930s, it weaves in many strands – fascism, child grooming, moral ambiguity – that resonate so strongly today.
And at its heart is Miss Jean Brodie, who chooses ‘her girls’ to fall under her spell of breaking boundaries, of fulfilling destinies, and moulding them in her chosen image – “give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life.”
The Brodie Set are the creme de la creme in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Mihaela Bodlovic
But it is all to fulfil her own vanity and ego, with no regard for the consequences on these young lives. In one case, tragically so.
This production, directed by Vicky Featherstone, pulls no punches in its depiction of Miss Brodie, essayed brilliantly by Rankin.
The House of Dragon star commands the stage, strutting around it in a virtuoso performance as she puts Brodie’s dazzling nature, quick wit and simmering sexuality on full display.
Her delivery of some of Brodie’s most memorable lines – “she thinks to intimidate me with the use of quarter hours” – is flawless.
You simply cannot take your eyes of her, such is the almost hypnotic attraction of her performance and the character.
But slowly and surely Brodie’s dark side is revealed, the realisation this is no heroine – as she would wish it – but actually a destructive, monstrous force, a point that is drilled home in moments of real shock.
Dance and music help create an unforgettable theatrical experience in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Mihaela Bodlovic
While Rankin is the lynchpin of the show, she is more than matched by the rest of the ensemble cast, who carry her ‘girls’ - her adoring crème de la crème - from childhood to teens to adults with an effortless ease.
Bobby Rainsbury is particularly outstanding as Sandy Stranger, the brightest and best of the ‘Brodie Set’ but the one who has real doubts over the true nature of her mentor and teacher. Both drawn and repelled, she is the catalyst for Brodie’s ultimate downfall.
Rainsbury’s subtle and nuanced performance is simply riveting.
The cast’s sublime performances are enhanced by Featherstone’s staging. A deceptively simple set – raised steps, billowing curtains and chandelier-style lighting – is the ideal backdrop for the blend of movement, dance and projection that helps drive the story.
Falling under the spell of The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Mihaela Bodlovic
Even the costumes – especially Brodie’s fantastic fashions – are works of art, creating unforgettable imagery, as does the whole production.
It all adds up to a heady mix and a masterpiece of theatre – one that is almost inevitably bound for London’s West End.
For this take on The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie truly is the crème de la crème.
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie is at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday 31 October.
Find more information and tickets at Aberdeen Box Office via Aberdeen Performing Arts.