The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie By Muriel Spark

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

The Creme De La Creme

20130121

There's a plot afoot - again - to unseat Miss Brodie at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh.

Read by Gerda Stevenson

Muriel Spark's best-known and best-loved novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and with stories of her own love life.

As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me', and as her love life becomes complicated by affections for, and from, the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and her purpose.

A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of the comic, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie a character who remains as vivid and recognisable as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word - opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world.

Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the 1930s when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.

Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of 20th century literature.

Abridged in five parts by Sally Marmion.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.

Muriel Spark's sparkling and much-loved classic story of an Edinburgh school teacher.

Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher

The Walk

20130122

A walk through the Old Town reveals another side of the city, and of Miss Brodie.

Read by Gerda Stevenson

Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh.

She eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and with stories of her own love life.

Abridged by Sally Marmion.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.

Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher

Art And Music

20130123

The competing charms of art and music vie for Miss Brodie's favours.

Read by Gerda Stevenson.

Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh.

Eschewing the normal curriculum, Miss Brodie seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me'. But her convictions spark complications as some begin to question her authority and purpose.

Abridged by Sally Marmion.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.

Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher

Painting

20130124

Art teacher at Edinburgh's Marcia Blaine School, Mr Teddy Lloyd begins to paint Miss Brodie's girls.

Read by Gerda Stevenson.

Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of teacher, Jean Brodie.

Abridged by Sally Marmion.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.

Art teacher Mr Teddy Lloyd begins to paint Miss Brodie's girls.

Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher

Betrayal

20130125

One of Miss Brodie's girls, Sandy realises that 'you can only betray where loyalty is due'.

Concluded by Gerda Stevenson.

Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh.

Abridged by Sally Marmion.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.

Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	The Creme De La Creme	20130121	There's a plot afoot - again - to unseat Miss Brodie at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh. Read by Gerda Stevenson Muriel Spark's best-known and best-loved novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and with stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me', and as her love life becomes complicated by affections for, and from, the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and her purpose. A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of the comic, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie a character who remains as vivid and recognisable as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word - opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world. Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the 1930s when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment. Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of 20th century literature. Abridged in five parts by Sally Marmion. Producer: Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013. Muriel Spark's sparkling and much-loved classic story of an Edinburgh school teacher. Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher
02	The Walk	20130122	A walk through the Old Town reveals another side of the city, and of Miss Brodie. Read by Gerda Stevenson Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh. She eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and with stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me', and as her love life becomes complicated by affections for, and from, the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and her purpose. Abridged by Sally Marmion. Producer: Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013. Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher
03	Art And Music	20130123	The competing charms of art and music vie for Miss Brodie's favours. Read by Gerda Stevenson. Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh. Eschewing the normal curriculum, Miss Brodie seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me'. But her convictions spark complications as some begin to question her authority and purpose. Abridged by Sally Marmion. Producer: Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013. Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher
04	Painting	20130124	Art teacher at Edinburgh's Marcia Blaine School, Mr Teddy Lloyd begins to paint Miss Brodie's girls. Read by Gerda Stevenson. Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of teacher, Jean Brodie. Eschewing the normal curriculum, Miss Brodie seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me'. But her convictions spark complications as some begin to question her authority and purpose. Abridged by Sally Marmion. Producer: Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013. Art teacher Mr Teddy Lloyd begins to paint Miss Brodie's girls. Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher
05	Betrayal	20130125	One of Miss Brodie's girls, Sandy realises that 'you can only betray where loyalty is due'. Concluded by Gerda Stevenson. Set in the 1930s, Muriel Spark's novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh. Eschewing the normal curriculum, Miss Brodie seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'cr耀me de la cr耀me'. But her convictions spark complications as some begin to question her authority and purpose. Abridged by Sally Marmion. Producer: Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013. Muriel Spark's much-loved and sparkling classic about an Edinburgh school teacher