Mrs Robinson to keep clothes on

One by one a string of glamorous actresses have dropped their inhibitions to meet the demands of the play's most memorable moment.

But the latest Mrs Robinson in the stage production of The Graduate is set to turn her back on tradition.

Glynis Barber has refused to appear naked in the famous 20-second scene when the play starts a national tour at the Cambridge Arts Theatre tomorrow.

The star made her reluctance clear when she was cast, but producers believed they would be able to talk her round before the show opened. Instead they discovered-that Miss Barber, 47, best known for playing Sergeant Harriet Makepeace in the cult detective series Dempsey and Makepeace, had had a 'no nudity' clause written into her contract.

So the latest Mrs Robinson, who follows in the footsteps of Linda Gray, Kathleen Turner, Jerry Hall and Amanda Donohoe as the suburban housewife who seduces her neighbours' son, will be the first not to shed her clothes. Miss Barber insists on wearing her underwear for the scene, even though subtle lighting means she will only be seen in silhouette.

The actress told producers she would feel 'uncomfortable' doing a full-frontal strip on stage.

In the classic scene in the original 1967 movie, when Anne Bancroft seduces a young Dustin Hoffman by slowly peeling off her stockings and stepping out of her dress, it is never clear whether she is naked or not.

Although the play has always sold itself on the scene, theatre staff deny Miss Barber's modesty will impair its success. Producer Sacha Brooks said: 'To most punters it is unimportant whether she takes her clothes off or not. It is just something that has attracted a lot of media interest.'