Five thousand people have watched a Bath theatre group perform atBritain's best-known open-air theatre.
The Next Stage Theatre Company has returned from a successfulweek at the cliff-top Minack Theatre near Land's End.
Next Stage put on a production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,which had played to sold-out houses in Bath.
The seven Cornish performances were attended by a total of 5,000people, with 20 actors from the Bath group taking part in the play,set in a Scottish girls' school. Among them were 12 girls from NextStage's Youth theatre aged between 11 and 18, with the four leadingparts alternating each performance. Director Ann Garner said: "Thegirls were all extremely professional and are to be congratulated oncoping with all the demands of school and exams throughout therehearsal period, with a number of them getting A, AS and GCSEresults during final rehearsals or last week's perfor mances."
The title role was played by Caroline Groom, while Joanna Bowmanplayed headmistress Miss Mackay. All the performances were rain-free in what was the seventh visit by Next Stage since 1998.
The company has been booked to return to Cornwall in August 2013.
Ms Garner said: "It has been a pleasure and a privilege to beassociated with this production.
For me, The Minack is the most beautiful theatre in the world andit is wonderful to be asked to perform there.
"However, it is always a challenge to take a production from anindoor venue and place it on a cliffside stage that is exposed toall the elements, and is also a tricky shape for actors to work in."
She said it had been "a joy" to see so many Bath people in theaudiences each night.
In total, including cast, crew, family and friends, as many as150 Bathonians travelled to The Minack.
Earlier this year, pupils at Weston All Saints Primary Schoolalso performed at the Cornish theatre.
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