by Judi Dench
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER
Let Dame Judi Dench take you behind the scenes of a life loving the Bard – as she shares her story with, and enduring affection for, William Shakespeare.
'A wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote' Financial Times, Books of the Year
'A MAGICAL LOVE LETTER TO SHAKESPEARE' Sir Kenneth Branagh
'If you love Judi Dench or Shakespeare (and most of us do), look no further' Guardian
'Wonderfully inspiring, riveting. A delightful spell in the company of one of our greatest actresses' Daily Mail, Books of the Year
'Gloriously entertaining' Observer
Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig...
Cavorting naked through the countryside painted green...
Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head...
These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.
For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra.
Here she reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty.
Witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.
'An utterly delightful book... Shakespeare from a great actor's perspective – that repeatedly strikes to the heart of the matter with a sharp instinctive intelligence that puts fancy-pants literary critics to shame' Telegraph
'A wonderful ode to the bard' I
'The book is pure enchantment. It swirls and dances with brilliance and mischief, so forget traditional Shakespearean criticism and analysis. Sack the Eng. Lit. professors. As never before, this book brings the subject to wild, authentic life.' Daily Mail
'Riveting, revealing and witty' Gazette and Herald
Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER
Let Dame Judi Dench take you behind the scenes of a life loving the Bard – as she shares her story with, and enduring affection for, William Shakespeare.
'A wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote' Financial Times, Books of the Year
'A MAGICAL LOVE LETTER TO SHAKESPEARE' Sir Kenneth Branagh
'If you love Judi Dench or Shakespeare (and most of us do), look no further' Guardian
'Wonderfully inspiring, riveting. A delightful spell in the company of one of our greatest actresses' Daily Mail, Books of the Year
'Gloriously entertaining' Observer
Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig...
Cavorting naked through the countryside painted green...
Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head...
These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.
For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra.
Here she reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty.
Witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.
'An utterly delightful book... Shakespeare from a great actor's perspective – that repeatedly strikes to the heart of the matter with a sharp instinctive intelligence that puts fancy-pants literary critics to shame' Telegraph
'A wonderful ode to the bard' I
'The book is pure enchantment. It swirls and dances with brilliance and mischief, so forget traditional Shakespearean criticism and analysis. Sack the Eng. Lit. professors. As never before, this book brings the subject to wild, authentic life.' Daily Mail
'Riveting, revealing and witty' Gazette and Herald
Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023
Reviews-
-
February 19, 2024
For this exuberant collection, O’Hea, an actor at Shakespeare’s Globe theater, brings together his interviews with Dench (Behind the Scenes) about the many Shakespearean roles and productions in her seven-decade career. Conducted over four years and originally intended for the Globe’s archives, the lively conversations bounce from backstage reminiscences (“I wouldn’t know how to get ready unless there were jokes and pants flying through the air”) to irreverent commentary on the plays (“Oh my God, I loathed it,” Dench says about The Merchant of Venice, objecting to its irredeemable characters and antisemitism). Dench’s accessible musings feel like learning about Shakespeare from a favorite teacher, as when she notes how the contrast between Romeo’s metaphor-rich language and Juliet’s “straight to the point” responses in the balcony scene reveal how “she has no guile about her. And there’s no time to be flowery—she’s too anxious about Romeo’s safety.” Of particular value are Dench’s lucid insights on her craft: “Acting is learning how to edit. It’s not just about what you put in, but probably more importantly what you choose to chuck out.” The breezy discussions make up in energy and passion for what they lack in rigor. It’s a refreshingly loose exploration of the Bard’s oeuvre. Illus. - Daily Mail, Books of the Year Wonderfully inspiring. A delightful spell in the company of one of our greatest and most thoughtful actresses
- Kenneth Branagh A magical love letter to Shakespeare
- Financial Times, Books of the Year A wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote
- Literary Review Gorgeous flows of recollection
- Gazette and Herald Riveting, revealing and witty
