Lettice and Lovage is a comical and satirical play by Peter Shaffer. It is centered on a flamboyant tour guide who loves to embellish the history behind an English country house and who butts heads with a fact-conscious official at the house. The play was written specifically for Dame Maggie Smith, who originated the title role of Lettice Douffet in both the English and American runs of the production. The role of Lotte Schoen was played by Margaret Tyzack.Following a tour of provincial theatres, the play was produced in London in 1987. Its two-year run of 768 performances at the Globe Theatre counts as one of the longer runs in London theatrical history. After a year in the West End play, Smith and Tyzack were replaced by Geraldine McEwan and Sara Kestelman. The play was revised by Shaffer in 1988. The first American production opened on March 13, 1990, with a preview performance of the revised play at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City. The Broadway version ran from March 25, 1990 to December 23, 1990 with a total of 286 performances. Source: Wikipedia (en)