Member Reviews

What a charming book! In conversation with her collaborator Brendan O'Hea, Dame Judi Dench reminisces about her life as an actor in Shakespeare's plays. If you've ever seen her on screen or in person, you'll hear her voice in your head. She speaks about Shakespeare as if he were an old friend, sometimes brilliant but sometimes … not. The plays (fully explained, so no expertise is needed) form the framework for her anecdotes and musings about love, jealousy, rage, joy, and so much more. Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is a theater memoir, a primer on acting, an autobiography, and a far-ranging conversation with a friend, all rolled into one. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

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When I was contacted by the publisher with an invitation to read this book, I was over the moon. I had heard about it and was eagerly awaiting its release. It was an immeasurable treat to have early access.

This title offers a series of reflections and conversations between Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea. Originally written for an archive, the two got the idea to publish a book together, and the reader is so lucky that they made that decision.

Within these pages, readers get to share in Judi’s life and her professional career. Her love for her husband, her daughter and her craft all come across. She is witty, wise, and it was an absolute pleasure to read her words.

Judi Dench and her husband, referred to Shakespeare as the man who pays the rent because they were in so many productions over the years. However, Shakespeare never really became routine for them and Judi brought her best self to every performance.

The first play that is reflected upon is Macbeth. Judi Dench very much views it as a play about the relationship between Lord and Lady Macbeth. She sees the deterioration of their marriage as a true tragedy.

Included here are Dench’s thoughts on nineteen plays interspersed with other reflections. A couple of examples of these are Company and Fireside Ramblings.

For anyone who admires Judi Dench or who wants to more deeply understand the bard, this book is a must read. I adored it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

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This is another one of Judi Dench’s masterpieces. Yet, this one isn’t on the stage or on film. This book consists of interviews by Brendan O’Hea with performances Judi Dench did over the years of Shakespeare's plays. Some may say that she was born to perform and enlighten her audiences with tragedy and joy.

Like many others, I love watching Judi Dench in movies. “Shakespeare in Love” is a favorite of mine where she plays the mighty Queen Elizabeth. She is powerful with the keen ability to understand the characters and move her audiences with emotional appeal.

While reading this book, I kept wondering how different it would be to attend one her performances on stage with her beautiful costumes. She presents herself as being reassuring, confident and witty at times. Dench has benefitted greatly having a photographic memory. She said one has to be inside the character’s head and know what’s going on with the play. “Each part is a jigsaw piece and needs to fit in the overall design.”

The interviewer said to Dench that he often feels like he needs a history lesson before seeing the plays. The same is true for reading this book. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with most plays by Shakespeare. I wish I was while reading her notes. Those that have read or seen his plays are going to have a greater grasp of the finer details. I appreciated the interviews and it gave me more of an interest with this beloved historical figure and his poetic dramas.

This book would be ideal as an Audible to hear the voice of the woman we love: Dame Judi Dench. However, her art sketches in the chapters were a nice added touch. She was asked what she thought of the critics. She said, “It’s just one person’s opinion.”

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 23, 2024.

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Shout out to NetGalley for the ARC!

I will read - and watch - Dame Judi Dench in anything and everything, and this interview-meets-memoir did NOT disappoint.

Lovers of Shakespeare, the stage (or neophytes of both) will find these anecdotes compelling and casually instructive. DJD’s body of - Shakespearean - work is staggering: her skills and talents are unparalleled.

And if you need proof, tune into her Graham Norton interview & watch her (EFFORTLESSLY) hold a 2023 audience in the palm of her hand as she recites Sonnet 29 with grace, passion, and aplomb.

Resplendence personified.

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I received a free copy of, Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, by Judi Dench; Brendan O'Hea, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a great book for fans of Shakespeare and or Judi Dench. I have not read a whole lot of Shakespeare at all, but Im a fan of Judi Dench. This is an interesting book. Judi Dench tells you all about the plays by Shakespeare.

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An entertaining read, perfect for fans of Judi Dench. Her personality shines through as she reminisces about her performances. Each chapter focuses on a different play or theme.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Judi Dench has been a well known actress for many years. This book gives us a glimpse into her life while acting in different plays. It takes us behind the scenes. I liked this book.

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Dame Judi Dench’s book is an absolute gem and a gift for anyone who loves Shakespeare. Her insights into the characters, language, and plots of many of my favorite Shakespearean plays are breathtaking. Although I studied the plays in multiple college courses and have taught five of them to my high school students, Ms. Dench provides a completely new perspective from her decades as an actor that will absolutely inform the way I teach these plays in the future. It feels auspicious that I was given this digital ARC the week I began teaching Hamlet to my seniors. Thank you so much for the privilege of reading this book before its release date. I have already pre-ordered Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent as an audiobook so I can hear Ms. Dench’s undoubtedly marvelous recitations of the lines she quotes from the plays.

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What a wonderful book -- a personal memoir mixed in with commentary on our favorite bard and --more to the point -- bringing his words to such life in such great company. You can't go wrong with this read.

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I enjoyed this written conversation between Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea about Shakespeare’s plays. It gave me a new perspective on what goes on behind the scenes and the work involved in performing the plays. I came away with a new understanding of the complexity of the writing and awareness of the truth that even the small roles are crucial. I could hear Judi Dench in my head as I read this. She is funny, original and thoughtful. I am a fan of both Shakespeare and Ms Dench so I truly enjoyed this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eGalley of this title.

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This book was simply lovely. There is such a contrast between the scholarly approach of Brendan O’Hea’s question and the actor’s approach of Dench. It often leads to funny banter. I am in awe of the breadth of both of their knowledge of Shakespeare. I have always loved Judi Dench, but this insight into how she sees characters and brings them to life on the stage or screen makes me appreciate her so much more. This is a fantastic book for Shakespeare lovers, actors, or the casual reader. It was both insightful and delightful.

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Brendan O'Hea interviews Dame Judi Dench who reflects on her connection to the Bard through her time on stage and film, undertaking roles from Shakespeare's plays. A fun read that is not an analysis of the plays, but a noted actor's reflections, documented in a series of interviews conducted over a period of four years.

For lovers of the Bard and fans of Judi!

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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read "Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent" in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was ever so excited to read this book because of the great respect I have for Judi Dench. She explains and makes Shakespeare interesting and fun with her insight into characters and stories from her wonderful career in the theatre. She starts off by sharing from "Macbeth" her role as Lady Macbeth and how this role was the reason she went into the theatre, a role she first played in 1963 in Nottingham. She talks about her love for Stratford-Upon-Avon where she first went at the age of 18 in 1953 to see "King Lear" and dreamed of being a set designer. It's where she met her husband Michael Williams. Her mother, and Michael's parents all lived with them.

The other plays and characters that she talks about in the book are:
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" where she played Titania, Hermina and the First Fairy.
"Twelfth Night" she was Viola and Maria.
"Merchant of Venice" she was Portia.
"Hamlet" she was Ophelia and Gertrude.
"Coriolanus" she was Volumnia.
"As You Like It" she was Phebe.
"Measure For Measure" she was Isabella.
"Much Ado About Nothing" she was Beatrice.
"King Lear" she played Regan, Cordelia and Goneril.
"Comedy of Errors" she was Adriana.
"Richard II" she was Queen Isabel.
"Anthony and Cleopatra" she was Cleopatra.
"Cymbeline" she was Imogen and her brother Jeff played the title role.
"All's Well That Ends Well" is was the Countess of Roussillon.
"Henry V" is was Katherine on stage and Hostess in Kenneth Branagh's film version.
"The Merry Wives of Windsor" she was Mistress Quickly and Anne Page.
"Richard III" she was the Duchess of York.
"The Winter's Tale" she was Hermione, Perdita and Paulina.
"Romeo and Juliet" she was Juliet.

She tells fabulous laugh out loud, totally brilliant stories. She shares the absolutely hilarious things that she has done - on stage and off. She remembers minute details from costumes, to everyone that worked on each production. She can recite quotes from the plays, remembering her lines from 1960. She can explain the lines and the words with such clarity - better than any teacher in school has. Reading her book is like sitting with her as she tells these stories over a cup of tea. She shares that her grandson thinks she's the most childish person he knows. She relates how she enjoys playing games, tricks and dares, jokes and hiding from people. She talks about a good theatre company and how they become your second family. She shares how she doesn't like to be alone. Is known to have lunch with her driver who picks her up before and after theatre performances. On the subject of bad reviews she says that you learn from them and become a better actress. There is magic to be mined from mistakes.

The book has many of Ms. Dench's pencil sketches - the characters from the plays or renderings of some of the costumes. They add to the book immensely to see such a personal touch.

She has worked with some of the greats: Richard Burton, John Neville, Michael Redgrave, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Benedict Cumberbatch, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Kenneth Branagh. Frank Sinatra bought her husband a drink in New York once and she tells a great story surrounding that meeting.

She was involved in the campaign to save the Rose Theatre, the spot where Shakespeare stood. She's very committed to the people who buy tickets to see plays in the theatre. She doesn't like to see cancelled shows because that would be disappointing those people and she never wants to let the audience down.

In 1987 she directed a play for the first time at the request of her good friend Kenneth Branagh. Directing is not her favourite bit to do. Too many decisions and responsibility rest on the director. When the actors gang up on you, they don't tell you which pub they'll be hanging out at.

On the future of Shakespeare she says that his words will continue to exist because he's become so part of our everyday language. It's a bridge across cultures and young people are the custodians of these glorious plays. You can find everything in a Shakespearean play: oppression, ambition, loneliness, remorse, jealousy, love... Her advice to future Shakespearean actors: be kind, be curious, be playful and keep a sense of humour. If only there were more than 5 stars to give her!!

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This was an intriguing collection of questions and answers - more of an interview in print than a memoir or biography. I would imagine it to be a fantastic audiobook. Although I could not help but hear Dame Judi's answers in her inimitable voice as I read, I think I would have actually preferred to listen as I'm not a big fan of the Q&A format in print. Still, there's so much of interest here that it is well worth the time for any fan of her work or of Shakespeare in general. Her insights into the characters she's portrayed and her various performances were fascinating. For me it was not so much a sit-and-read-through book as a visit-from-time-to-time one, and it was a delightful way to expand my knowledge of Shakespeare and the plays.

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Review: Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench with Brendan O’Hea

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with Judi Dench and chat about acting and Shakespeare? Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is your opportunity.

Written as transcribed conversations with Brendan O’Hea, Dame Dench dishes on her experience acting in Shakespearean plays. It is a fascinating introspection into the process of and community created in stage acting. I especially loved the reflective chapters on the profession of acting and the impact of Shakespeare.

If you love Shakespeare, Judi Dench, or reading memoirs about actors, grab a cuppa and get cozy with this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

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"Her insights on Shakespeare are incisive and refreshing in their simplicity...an actor at the top of their game for nearly seven decades [led] me by the hand and introduced me to these extraordinary Shakespearean women...the only thing she's certain about is that there is no right way of performing Shakespeare."
-co-writer Brendan O'Hea

Through a series of interviews, writer/director/actor Brendan O'Hea chats with Dame Judi Dench. This conversation between good friends is presented to the reading audience. What a delight!

Possessing a remarkable memory, Judi Dench shares her thought processes through the years of preparing for roles such as Lady Macbeth, Titania and Cleopatra among others. "Macbeth was the reason I went into the theatre." It started when she visited Stratford-Upon-Avon at age 18 with her parents. "In all the memories I have [Stratford] is where my heart is. It's where I feel centred. So much of what Shakespeare talks about in his plays can be referenced to the countryside around Stratford."

"The word 'play' is at the heart of what we do as actors-players putting on plays by playwrights in playhouses for playgoers. Play is everything...My parents...encouraged [my brothers and I] to fail and risk and make and imagine...We spent our childhood surrounded by books and being taken to the theatre a lot."

"I love being part of a company...It was thrilling being able to have a walk-on part in one production, play a character in another, understudy in something else...it's how we grew as performers: scores of actors, playing multiple parts across several productions, watching and learning from others...".

Presenting a master class of sorts for the reader, Judi explains, "Acting is a three way conversation between you, the other actors and the audience. "It is not an actors job to make a character likeable, but to make them understandable." She is known for listening to the vibes of an audience before making a stage entrance and for listening intently to each actor on stage. Occasional tweaking might be needed.

Dame Judi has a raunchy sense of humor. One evening, she spotted a shock of white hair, thinking it belonged to a director she had worked with many times. When she made an entrance near where he was sitting, she dropped a note in his lap. "I suppose a f..."s out of the question". It was read by "a much older gentleman who looked very alarmed."

Judi Dench has amassed a wealth of knowledge about Shakespeare. Her love of his works is displayed by her thorough analysis of each role, starting from her time working with the RSC and the Old Vic. Her playful manner tends to make Shakespeare very accessible. "There's something for everybody in Shakespeare. Everything you have felt or are yet to feel is all there in his plays: oppression, ambition, loneliness, remorse...Shakespeare has examined every single emotion...[He] belongs to everybody. And we must allow who we are as individuals to colour our interpretation of his words: You've got to find out what his words mean for you" Highly recommended!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I received a copy of the book "Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent" by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea. from NetGalley. Judi Dench knows a lot about the plays by William Shakespeare. She had been in a lot of the author's plays over her career. She writes this book with friend Brendan O'Hea. the whole book is like a conversation she is having with her friend. She goes into detail describing each play, the characters she played, the plot of each play. I admit I am aware of Shakespeare but do not know a lot of the plays and their plots. Judi Dench goes into detail of each play describing the character she plays and the other characters and the plots. I found this quite interesting to learn more about the Shakespeare plays. She has been performing in Shakespeare plays from a young adult up through her older years. I would think this would be a good book for Shakespeare fans or fans of actors who have been in Shakespeare plays.

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I was unsurprisingly delighted by this - Dench has so many wonderful stories, and has been a performer of Shakespeare for the majority of her career. I don't think I woul assign this full text to acting or drama students, but certainly some excrepts. This was a great read and would be appropriate for any Shakespeare or acting fans 13 or above.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy eARC.

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Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is a fabulous walk through the Shakespearian career of Dame Judi Dench. Her delightful wit and sharp tongue come through in every paragraph. It has been fun to see Shakespear through a true thespian's eyes, and to have her personality with it has been such a wonderful experience. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion of #ShakespearTheManWhoPaysTheRent.

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This is transcribed from a set of discussions with Judi Dench about acting and Shakespeare and the roles she's played and her career and life. Like Dame Judi herself, it's charming and fun and thoughtful and smart. Actors will value her thoughts about roles; theater-goers will love her backstage and on-stage stories; and anyone who has ever liked her in film or TV will enjoy this compendium of thoughts.

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