Back in 1987  the celebrated British playwright  Peter Shaffer followed up the enormous success of his Tony Award-winning play Equus with a new play called Lettice and Lovage that he wrote especially for Maggie Smith (in her pre Dame days).  It centered around a flamboyant tour guide who loves to embellish the history behind an English country house and who butts heads with a fact-conscious official at the house.

Maggie and her co-star the veteran British actress Margaret Tyzack originated their roles in London’s West End and then again on Broadway in 1990 where both actresses won Tony Awards for their performances.