The twists and turns of the story are noted in the acerbic diary of Barbara Covett, a domineering and solitary teacher who rules with an iron fist over her classroom at a decaying state-run secondary school in London. Save for her cat, Portia, Barbara lives alone, without friends or confidantes–but her world changes when she meets the school’s new art teacher, Sheba Hart.

• Notes on a Scandal
• Andrew Simpson
• Cate Blanchett
• Judi Dench
• Richard Eyre