‘Downton’ fans can see Maggie Smith on stage for first time in 12 years this spring

Dame Maggie Smith is returning to the stage soon in a new solo show.

The 84-year-old English actress is best known to many period drama fans as Lady Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey.

She also played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies and has starred in Death on the Nile, Clash of the Titans, Hook, Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Lady in the Van.

It’s now been announced that Maggie Smith will be performing on stage this spring for the first time in 12 years.

She’s going to be starring in A German Life at the Bridge Theatre in London for five weeks – and she’ll be the only person on stage throughout!

A brand new play by Christopher Hampton, the solo show is directed by Jonathan Kent and based on the life and testimony of Brunhilde Pomsel.

A German Life opens on 6th April and will run until 11th May.

The official synopsis reads: “Brunhilde Pomsel’s life spanned the twentieth century. She struggled to make ends meet as a secretary in Berlin during the 1930s, her many employers including a Jewish insurance broker, the German Broadcasting Corporation and, eventually, Joseph Goebbels.

“Christopher Hampton’s play is based on the testimony she gave when she finally broke her silence to a group of Austrian filmmakers, shortly before she died in 2016.”

Tickets for the show will be available to buy from Tuesday 26th February here.

The Downton Abbey movie is released in cinemas worldwide this September.

Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection DVD box set is available on Amazon.