In 1960, a 25-year-old Maggie Smith starred in the play Strip the Willow, a production that is often cited as the performance that launched her toward major stardom. The play was written by Beverley Cross, who would later become Smith’s second husband. Cross reportedly wrote the lead role specifically for her, including a stage direction that described the character as “about 25 and very beautiful... as elegant and sophisticated as a top international model.”
The play debuted in November 1960 at the Newcastle Theatre Royal before touring other venues, including the Theatre Royal, Brighton. Smith played Kathy Dawson, a role specifically described by Cross in the stage directions as an elegant, sophisticated, and “marvelous girl” with a great sense of fun.
One of the most publicized aspects of the production involved Smith’s character playing strip poker, leading to iconic photocall images of her in a “state of undress” while holding a hand of playing cards.
At the time, critics noted her immense screen presence and “sex appeal,” with some famously comparing her favorably to icons like Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe.
The play is significant in Smith’s biography as it was written by Beverley Cross. Although Smith married actor Robert Stephens in 1967, she later married Cross in 1975, a relationship that lasted until his death in 1998.
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