Judi Dench and her friend Brendan O’Hea provide a guided tour of many of Shakespeare’s plays. What makes Shakespeare the Man Who Pays the Rent special is Dench’s experience with the roles she discusses. Dench’s long career acting in Shakespeare plays includes triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.
Dan Stumpf will love Dench’s dissection of Hamlet and her insights into the roles she played in Shakespeare’s masterpiece. I was surprised when I read Dench’s chapter on King Lear. Many people consider King Lear to be Shakespeare’s best play, but Dench writes, “I can see that it’s an extraordinary piece of writing, but if you were to ask me my five favourite Shakespeares, King Lear wouldn’t be one of them.” (p. 183)
Over her seven decade career, Judi Dench developed opinions on how Shakespearean roles should be played, how audiences have changed, the influence of critics, how company spirit is necessary to success, and the importance of rehearsal room etiquette. Dench isn’t afraid to tackle technical subjects like developing the craft of speaking in verse and taking chances with Shakespeare’s intensions.
If you’re a Judi Dench fan, Shakespeare the Man Who Pays the Rent is a must-read. If you’re a Shakespeare fan, Shakespeare the Man Who Pays the Rent is a must-read. I came away from reading Shakespeare the Man Who Pays the Rent knowing a whole lot more about Shakespearean plays! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION — 1
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth — 5
Stratford-upon-Avon — 21
A midsummer night’s dream
Titania — 25
Hermia — 36
First Fairy — 45
Play — 49
Twelfth night
Viola — 53
Maria — 68
The merchant of Venice
Poria –79
Company — 94
Hamlet
Ophelia — 97
Gertrude — 109
Coriolanus
Volumnia — 125
Fireside ramblings — 138
As you like it
Phebe — 143
Measure for measure
Isabella — 149
Rose Theatre — 165
Much ado about nothing
Beatrice — 167
King Lear
Regan, Cordellia and Goneril — 183
Failure — 197
The comedy of errors
Adriana — 199
Rehearsal — 213
Richard II
Queen Isabel — 217
Antony and Cleopatra
Cleopatra — 227
Cymbeline
Imogen — 245
Critics — 261
All’s well that ends well
Countess of Roussillon — 265
Shakespeare’s language — 277
Henry V
Katherine — 281
Hostess — 285
The merry wives of Windsor
Mistress Quickly — 291
Anne Page — 300
Audience — 304
Richard III
Duchess of York –307
Changing times –314
The winter’s tale
Hermione. — 317
Perdita — 328
Paulina — 336
Time — 349
Future of Shakespeare — 350
Romeo and Juliet
Juliet — 353
Advice — 371
Epilogue — 375
Acknowledgements — 379
I heard her speak on some podcast and I couldn’t get over the long passages of his plays she can recite perfectly,
Patti, I have the same admiration of Judi Dench’s amazing memory! She’s a marvel!
Yes, Dame Judi is amazing, and this is definitely on my list. We saw her first (opposite John Mills, in a smaller part) in the musical adaptation of J. B. Priestley’s THE GOOD COMPANIONS in London in 1974. Who knew she could sing? (Well, she wasn’t a great singer, but compared to John Mills…oy). And she is still at it 50 years later. We watched the Four Dames documentary with her, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright too. Great old footage. The first three Dames are all 89 now. Plowright is several years older.
Jeff, although Judi Dench has vision problems, there’s nothing wrong with her brain. She’s as sharp as a tack!
Thanks for the tip!
Dan, I’ll be interested in your reactions to Judi Dench’s thoughts on HAMLET!
I don’t know why, but I don’t like her! I think I have the same problem with her as I do with a couple of other actors: I can see them act!
Bob, Judi Dench is NOT a Scientologist so you can’t hold that against her!
There are actors and actresses who aren’t $cientologists that I don’t like! Dench just falls into the category of I Can See She’s Acting that annoys me! Glenn Close is another, and Anthony Quinn! Maybe it’s just a quirk on my part, but there you have it!
Bob, I think I understand your objections now.