Dame Judi Dench has given me a new appreciation of Shakespeare.

Her memories of the various productions she's been in, including lines from the plays -some of which she hadn't done in decades- are remarkable. Not only are we gifted with her interpretation of the characters she played and the plays she appeared in, but we also get stories about the actors and directors she worked with in the productions. It's a wonderful mix of insight and reminiscence.

The banter with Brendan O'Hea brings out the humor and gives Judi Dench an opportunity to share her wit. Their friendship and playful digs at each other adds another element to an already fantastic conversation.

If you're familiar with Judi Dench, you're going to read this in her voice and that's just going to make the book even better.

This book is interviews with Judi Dench about her role in different Shakespeare productions since the 1950s. She has an amazing memory and it’s interesting to see the production from the viewpoint of the actor. If you are a theater buff or a fan of Judi Dench you will enjoy the stories.

This was a really fun book that was part memoir, part study of some of Shakespeare's plays. Dame Judi Dench is a wonderful actor and spent much of her time on stage performing a variety of parts in many of the plays of Shakespeare, and in this book she recounts some of the stories of her time performing each part and how each character fits into the story as well as an overview of the play in general. I really enjoyed the back and forth between co writer Brendan O'hea and Dench and I can see how the conversations would have had some questions that would have been prepared for each part covered, but also would have happened in a more organic way as the discussion went on. This method was nice as it allowed Dench to dig into the characters and how she feels the parts and plays work. As she says there is no one way to interpret Shakespeare, and it was really interesting to see how this wonderful actress interprets the parts.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

What an absolute DELIGHT this was! I love Dame Judy Dench as an actress but had no idea how lovely and full of humor her writing would be. It was so cool to learn more about her and about Shakespeare through her.

Based on other reviews, I’ll have to check out the audiobook sometime to hear these fun stories in her voice.

Thank you St Martin's for inviting me to read and review Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent. This is such a treat of a book.

This audiobook is such a delight (I had that to listen to and it added to me reading of this ebook), and I recommend the audio format over the physical book so you can hear Judi Dench talk about her roles and just enjoy the interview style storysharing. This is one to listen to and enjoy, it's a great book to read and listen to with the audiobook.

Stand outs, other than this being a most welcome change from my usual audiobooks:
1. Humor, the stories are funny, joyful, and I felt a lot of respect for the stories, the opportunity that the interviews offered.
2. History and insights into Judi Dench's long career with Shakespeare, her behind the scenes stories and rich detail are captivating
3. Her recall of lines, passages from Shakespeare, what a gift to listen to her perform

Highly recommend. If I taught Shakespeare I would assign this to my students!

This was a delightful book about Dame Judy Denche’s relationship to Shakespear. It was immensely funny and well written. I loved the banter between Judy and Brendan. You can tell that they are good friends and very comfortable with each other.
I had read many of Shakespeare’s plays, and seen my fare share or them as movies. I did not know that Judy had played in so many of his plays. Her dry wit and hilarious humor truly shined in this book. This is a great book for anybody who loved Shakespear. Even if you don’t know much about his plays, you will enjoy this book.

While my knowledge of Shakespeare is limited, after reading this book, I have a more insightful understanding of many of his masterpieces. The at times playful or incredibly delving banter between the interviewer (Brendan O’Hea) and Judi Dench enriched every page of this book.
Dench's candid revelations offer a rare glimpse behind the curtains of her illustrious career, unveiling treasures of reminiscences and thought-provoking perspectives that were simply delightful.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is a compilation of interviews between Brendan O'Hea and Dame Judi Dench. Their humorous conversations take a look into the actress' life experiences performing Shakespeare's work. There are chapters dedicated to each of the plays that Judi has performed in from Romeo & Juliet, to Hamlet, to her least favourite of them all - The Merchant of Venice.

I was given a rare opportunity to be given the audio and digital ARC around the same time. I decided to do a read along, and it was the best decision!

The audiobook is narrated by Brendan O'Hea and the talented Barbara Flynn. Listeners also get the opportunity to hear Judi Dench recite some of Shakespeare's most famous lines at the start of some chapters. These lines are not included in the digital copy. It is also easier to pick up more of the jest and camaraderie between the Brendan and Judi that didn't come out as clearly in the digital copy.

In the digital book, having the ability to read along with the narrators as they perform their lines in Shakespeare's iambic pentameter really helps pull you into the book. Readers are also privy to some of Judi's recent illustrations which are scattered throughout the book as she sketches some of the characters she has portrayed and Shakespeare himself.

Overall, this is a fantastic book! The audio/digital book combo complimented each other immensely. Regardless of which version you choose, you're in for a treat. Judi Dench is hilarious and her expertise in portraying Shakespeare's leading ladies is unmatched.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press (digital ARC) and Macmillan Audio (audio ARC) for the opportunity to read this title in advance of its publishing date. Opinions are my own.

It's an amazing conversation/interview, though it requires that, as a prerequisite for enjoying this book, you must love Shakespeare and/or Judi Dench (obviously). The rhythm of Shakespeare’s words, coupled with Judi Dench’s remembrances and analyses, could only be made more fantastic on audio.

Long before Judi Dench played M in the James Bond series she began her career on stage playing numerous Shakespeare characters. In this marvelous book, she talks about each character she played. My first encounter with Shakespeare was reading Macbeth as a junior in high school. Lady Macbeth trying to wash away the imaginary blood on her hands remains vivid in my memory. Dench recounts playing Lady Macbeth way back in 1963, what Dench believes drove this character, and the techniques used to bring her to life on the stage. Throughout the rest of this entertaining and educational book, Dench talks about playing many other famous Shakespeare characters including, Ophelia and Gertrude from Hamlet and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. This is a charming book for all fans of Shakespeare and the art of acting.

laugh-riot, laugh-out-loud, situational-humor, verbal-humor, historic-theatres, interviews, actors, family, famous-persons, commentary, memories, stage-plays, unputdownable*****

William Shakespeare is the unseen protagonist in this fun and fascinating book of the memories of this very well-known, energetic, and talented actress. The book is chaptered by Shakespeare's plays and the characters she portrayed. Expect insights, bloopers, and general hilarity amongst the historical facts relating to the time in which the plays were written.
The goal of the writer "had been to record her talking about all the Shakespeare parts she had played and offer it to the archive department at Shakespeare's globe." "The title is derived from the name that Judi and her husband gave to Shakespeare when they were working for the Royal Shakespeare Company." "The interviews were conducted over four years."
A wonderful book to be enjoyed again and again!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 23 Apr 2024

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book dealing with the power of performing, naughtiness of acting, and the time, effort and love that performers, especially this one, create while bring Shakespeare's works to life.

Though I have read a lot of Shakespeare, and taken quite a few classes I have never really experienced Shakespeare life. Living in Connecticut I know I went Stratford, Connecticut for a Shakespeare's fest, but I have no idea when that was, what was performed, or anything about it.. That's my nearest experience. Movies, television even comics, adaptations and Sandman stories are more in line with my media experiences. I was never much for legitimate theater, as Homer Simpson would say. And if concert experiences are a sign, I doubt I would see much o the stage through a sea of cell phones. After reading this book I really wish I had made the effort, for nothing I have read has made me want to start watching anything performed on a stage. Especially if Judi Dench is involved. Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea is part memoir, part guide to acting, appreciating the arts, and all Shakespeare, as Dench looks back at her performances, and shares what makes Shakespeare her favorite.

The book began as a series of interviews for the Royal Shakespeare Company, starting with a series of conversations, and viewings of performances between Judi Dench and fellow actor Brendan O'Hea. Dench has a lot of stories and an incredible memory for lines, her feelings and emotions while performing and a bit of tea spilling. The book is broken down into the Shakespeare plays the Dench has acted in, sometimes in different roles, and what Dench was thinking, feeling, or how she acted the way she did. Dench shares stories about her life, her husband a fellow actor, directors and others. Dench also breaks down the words, pointing out why this works, and the power they still have.

A conversations between not only two friends, but two friends who understand and can be honest with each other. Neither is afraid to call the other out, nor poke at each other for a laugh. Dench is funny, really funny, saucy and real, and is everything one would want in a mentor. Dench has a real sense for the words, why this works, why this doesn't along with a lot of funny stories, of falling on stage, ad libs and other little mistakes. What I could not get over is that during a season they might be doing four plays at once, with Dench starring in two, understudying in another, and being a bit character in another. So when she speaks these words, in one occasion lines Dench hasn't spoken in fifty years, even on the page one feels the power.

Recommended for actors and for fans of stage performers. There is plenty to learn, for actors and fans will love the asides, jokes, and saucy tales. Shakespeare fans will also get much from this, Dench has a wonderful way of explaining things, and her delivery is powerful, even in print. A book that would be a perfect Mother's Day gift for a lover of the creative arts.

I enjoyed reading Judi Dench's thoughts Shakespeare's plays and characters. Learning
how staging, location and the audience impact actors' performances. The stories about her
fellow actors, rehearsals and costumes were entertaining.
It has renewed an interest in rereading Shakespeare.
#ShakespearetheManWhoPaystheRent #NetGalley

really funny and fun analysis of Shakespeare's characters by one of the biggest Shakespeare actors of our modern age, Dame Judi Dench. Thanks for the arc.

I have to admit that I'm biased -- Judi Dench is my favorite person on the planet. Not exaggerating. I'm obsessed with her. So, on that note: I loved this book. Her sense of humor, her insight into human nature, and her reverence for her craft/Shakespeare's writing made this a joy to read. I will say, that this book is a bit inaccessible to those who are not familiar with Shakespeare. I think it would have been helpful to provide a synopsis, or at least a character profile, at the beginning of each chapter to give some context to the discussions. That is the only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5. But, again, Judi's charm and passion are evident on every page, making this a very special, enjoyable book. ... Did I mention I LOVE her?😋

Dame Judi Dench is an icon, and for good reason. I loved this look into her relationship with Shakespeare, and was enamored with her knowledge. A lovely read for those that are fans of the theatre and of Dame Dench herself.

When it comes to reading Shakespeare, I’m not a fan (high school in the late 80’s and early 90’s). The older I’ve gotten, I’ve discovered that Shakespeare is fine, depending on the media. I prefer my Shakespeare in performance -

Judi Dench - I’ve not seen her much - I love to hate her as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice (2005) and besides Daniel Craig, she was the best part of the Bond movies, but knowing of her career, her professional longevity, when I was invited to read this, I happily accepted. Engaging and interesting, I enjoyed this one a lot.

Actors, Shakespeare lovers, and fans of Judi Dench will adore this one.

I read this in e-book format, and while I recommend it, I think I would have enjoyed it even more in audiobook format.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Whether you’re a novice in the world of Shakespeare and looking for an entry point, or you’re a longtime scholar, this book capturing Judi Dench’s unique perspective is a must for your library.

I have always admired Judi Dench as a superlative actor (for almost seven decades!) and a delightfully down-to-earth, outspoken person. But I don't believe I've ever seen her in a Shakespeare play, even though she has starred or been featured in many of them. Reading this book--illustrated with Dame Judi's own sketches--makes me wish I had! Fellow actor Brendan O'Hea interviewed her over a 4-year period about her experience as a Shakespearean actor, largely with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare scholars and superfans will enjoy Dench's lively multipage summaries of 20 of the plays in which she has appeared. I must admit I did some skimming of these descriptions because of time constraints, but I will keep my Kindle copy to revisit when I next have the opportunity to see one of these plays.

For the rest of us, the book is chockful of Judi Dench's insights, philosophies, and comments on a wide variety of related topics, including but not limited to: her "fantastic childhood," Shakespeare's language and the many words and phrases he originated that are now part of our lives, her fellow actors and other theatre personnel, hilarious onstage mistakes and mishaps, staging and scenery, acting tips, working with her husband, audiences, rehearsals, and how the style of playing the Bard's works has changed over the years.

O'Hea tells us that Dench has a photographic memory, able to spout dozens of scenes and speeches and describe in detail the costumes she wore. She works entirely on instinct and firmly believes there is no one way to play Shakespearean roles. She is hopeful that his plays will continue to be performed in the future, as she feels that his work makes us all feel less alone. Dame Judi is playful, witty, frank, sometimes a bit raunchy, and a deeply sincere believer in Shakespeare's brilliance and lasting value. It's an entrancing read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This was a fun, quick book written in dialogue between the two authors. It was a really fun and not too heavy look at the life of a Shakespearean actor. The dialogues took place over four years and were lively and interesting to read. I bet it would make an even better audiobook because I could "hear" Judi Dench's voice in my head as I read.