Indelibly portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave -LRB- in London -RRB- , Zoe Caldwell -LRB- on Broadway -RRB- and Maggie Smith -LRB- on screen -RRB- , the student-warping title character of '' THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE , '' adapted by Jay Presson Allen from Muriel Spark 's sparklingly sinister novel , is now being channeled by CYNTHIA NIXON in a revival from the New Group .