Antonia Reviews~ Shakespeare by Judi Dench

This beautiful book makes you feel as if you have invited Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea to tea in your living room, as they discuss Dench’s career in the world of Shakespearean theatre. If you are a fan of reading, watching or even if you are teaching Shakespeare, I feel this book has an essential role to play in your enjoyment and understanding of the man and his works… making it deserving of a place on your bookshelf.  

As the title suggests this book is filled with Dench’s wit and I found myself laughing out loud as she recounts humorous stories of her time on stage. The chapters are separated into plays, helping the reader to follow the conversations with ease and get a deeper understanding on each aspect. I found it to be a very insightful collection for my own understanding not only of the text but the stage setting as Dench’s insight was truly fascinating.  Dench discusses her roles, how she played them and the actors/ actresses she worked with over the years. Shakespeare is someone I feel we all know in some form, through school (as is my case) however, Dench’s knowledge surpasses any expectations and leaves you in a state of wonder and in need of visiting your next local production... I found myself looking to see whether the Globe Theatre has any upcoming productions (whilst being terribly sad I had not had the chance to see Dench preforming on stage… James Bond replays will have to do for now!) and now convincing the husband to join me for Richard III in May as an early birthday treat.

I always show off the end papers of this book to those around me as they are decorated with drawings by Dench on different Shakespearean characters. I think the drawings add a greater depth to the book as it feels very personable, and I was told that she was asked to include them as a representation/ advocate for artists who are losing their sight, and her response was “go on then”. This book is as delightful as the people conversing in it, I would highly recommend with a cup of tea.

You can purchase a copy of this book here.