What an absolute treat!! I adore Judi Dench and was so excited to read this memoir! I listened to the audio version and it was great.

It’s done in a very relaxed, conversational interview with Brendan O’Hea asking the questions and Judi answering. The questioning is about Judi’s lifelong love of Shakespeare and her experiences. Barbara Flynn narrates most of Judi’s part with Judi jumping in for some magnificent Shakespeare from memory.

I loved learning about Judi’s childhood, her theatre shenanigans and thrills! So much behind the scenes that I would have never known about without this gem of a book!

Judi is such a special person and I especially loved the additional audio at the end where she and Brendan reminisce, as old friends do!

5 golden ⭐️’s, all the way!!!

Many thanks to Macmillian Audio for the ARC via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It is always great to hear interpretations of Shakespeare. How this was so intertwined with her life was great to hear. Would recommend to any Dan of Judi Dench or Shakespeare

Two things to acknowledge up front:

1. I am beyond grateful this book even exists. I can’t believe there’s an audience for this book beyond me. Whoever else is giving this book 5 stars, call me immediately, we are now best friends.
2. Dame Judi Dench does not narrate the audiobook. In the foreword, biographer and interviewer Brendan O’Hea makes an off-handed remark about Dench’s failing eyesight. A small amount of critical thinking applied then can lead you to understand why she’s not the narrator. But Dench starts most chapters by reciting lines of Shakespeare that she has memorized, and it is breath-taking. Additionally, the narrator for Dench, Barbara Flynn, knocks it out of the park. She PLAYS Dench, which perhaps shouldn’t be surprising. She’s got a wicked laugh and I could have listened to her forever.

This is 9 hours of Judi Dench talking about Shakespeare. It is not an academic study, but a play-by-play conversation about the roles she’s played, how she played them, how she’d play them now, memories from the shows, and what they meant to her. She defends certain interpretations (“should this character be played jealous? Angry?” “Is this scene serious, or a lark?”) and offers insights.

This is, from the bottom of my heart, all I’ve ever wanted. All I’ve ever wanted was to listen to an expert on Shakespeare talk about the different ways you can stage and interpret and play different characters and plays. Does Ophelia lose her mind? What happened between Benedick and Beatrice? Is Isabella’s fate in Measure for Measure satisfactory or tragic? Dench is insightful and razor-sharp. Occasionally O’Hea will push back on her, and more often than not she doubles down, argues him into submission! But I loved the dialogue between the two, which is imbued with love and friendship.

If you’re looking for tea, you’re not really going to get it. She name drops a few famous friends — Kenneth Branagh, obviously, but also Ian McKellen, Daniel-Day Lewis, Maggie Smith, and adorably, ‘Benny’ Cumberbatch — but she treats them like exactly that: friends. They played parts opposite her. She has a few funny stories, and a few poignant ones.

This was so good I cried when we reached the epilogue, because I could have listened to this forever. What a treasure: both this book, and Judi Dench.

“Shakespeare belongs to everybody, and we must allow who we are as individuals to color our interpretation of his words. Everybody’s upbringing and life experiences are different, and that needs celebrating, and bringing to the plays. You’ve got to find out what his words mean for you.”

Judi Dench talking about Shakespeare, Barbara Flynn reading... what's not to love about this book? Absolutely adored from start to finish. Judi is a treasure. Thank you to the author for sharing her stories with us!

Dame Judi Dench is a wonderful actress! I so enjoyed listening to her reflections on the various Shakespeare productions she performed in. I would classify the book as part memoir. If you are a fan of Dame Dench and Shakespeare, you will love this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, #JudiDench, #BrendanO’Hea, #BarbaraFlynn and #Shakespeare:TheManWhoPaystheRent for the advance audio copy for my honest review.

Loved! Loved! Loved! I didn’t know that much about Shakespeare before I listened to this audiobook but picked it up because Dame Judi Dench’s name is attached to it. I have never been disappointed in anything I have seen her in before and this did not disappoint rather it has made me see Shakespeare in a new way and appreciate it even more. I felt like this was much more like a conversation among friends about the nuances of just saying the same words with a different inflection can clearly change the meaning completely. Very true statement to even think about in your everyday life. This has piqued my interest in reading Hamlet, again. Yes, yes, yes, I would recommend this audiobook, even if you think you aren’t sure about Shakespeare, you will enjoy listening to this audiobook. Thank you to the following for allowing me to listen early and give my own honest opinion:
#NetGalley,y
#MacMillanAudio
#Shakespeare:TheManWhoPaysTheRent
#JudiDench; Brendan O’Hea
Publication Date: April, 23, 2024

I like Judi Dench’s work and Shakespeare, so I gave this a try due to the rave reviews I’ve been reading.
What a fun presentation! While I do wonder if there might be photos I missed out on in a print copy, I’m so glad that I chose the audio version. This is more of a structured conversation between two friends (think relaxed podcast) than a straightforward retelling, and it works brilliantly via audio. It’s evident how much the author’s enjoy each other. They’re playful and display the cadence of old friends. Each play has its own chapter, and the listener is taken down the memory lane of Judi’s experiences performing in each stage play. She often shares what was happening in her life at the moment of each production, which is lovely. As her late husband performed many of the plays with her, you see a glimpse of their love, marriage, and family.
I had a brilliant Shakespeare teacher in high school, followed by another at university. This book added a rich new dimension to my understanding of his works. How interesting to hear him interpreted by one of the great actors- one so committed to his works that she and her husband referred to him as “the man who pays the rent.” She had wonderful insights into the meaning of the plays. She’s also hilarious in a way that I didn’t expect. This was lighthearted, fun, and often funny.
I loved this so much, and am grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing access to an advanced audio file.

An absolutely wonderful insight into Judi Dench's actor approach to Shakespeare and also who she is as a person. The wonderful narration by Barbara Flynn let me forget quite often that it wasn't Dame Dench herself talking. The play by play chapters interspersed with anecdotes about the acting culture around Shakespeare, the theatre, and Dench's career never get boring or mundane - it's a wonderfully entertaining audiobook start to finish.

This felt more like listening to a podcast between two friends who were reminiscing about experiences they had while performing in various Shakespeare plays. Judi Dench is a gem and she really shone in this narration. I learned quite a bit about Shakespeare and the meaning behind some of his acts and characters.

This was a really fun, lighthearted book (a nice change of pace for me) that I really enjoyed. It talks in depth about all the Shakespeare plays and characters Judy Dench was a part of in her long, admirable career.

The author and Dench (via a narrator) discuss the plays (their themes, plots, significance, etc.) and include personal anecdotes that Dench had about cast mates, directors, particular performances, etc.

It was wonderfully funny and light. And - as an English major and English teacher - I even learned a thing or two I didn't already know about certain Shakespeare plays.

If you like memoirs, biographies, and hearing about the lives and work of celebrities, you'll definitely appreciate this one. The narrators were also excellent -- and I loved hearing Judy chime in occasionally with her own voice. That was a very nice touch.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of listening to this beautiful memoir of Dame Judi Dench's career as a Shakespearean actor. I absolutely loved this book and it should be a "must read" for any Shakespeare fan. It was so interesting to hear Dench's perspective on the language of Shakespeare and his impact across the world. The stories of who Dench has worked with on stage is fascinating and the parts where Dench is reciting lines of Shakespeare (done from her memory!) is pure beauty. Her insight into the language and the characters themselves was interesting and filled with wonderful memories of a life well -lived. I can't recommend this one enough.

Fantastic audiobook! Great narration, witty remarks and great writing. I'm glad they did include some of Dench's own narration, I love her so much. Obviously you must love Shakespeare to enjoy this book. Would make a great read for theater students!

Thank you NetGally for an advanced audio book. All opinions are my own.

This book was wonderful and the narration by Judi Dench was magnificent.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this. Being able to hear Dame Judi Dench herself talking about working in theatre and Shakespeare was eloquent and beautiful. I love how much knowledge she has about Shakespeare’s plays and loved hearing her opinions on it. O’Hea did a great job setting up topics and bringing his own research and history into this book too.

Judi Dench and her late husband, Michael Williams, used to call Shakespeare the man who pays the rent, because there were always Shakespeare plays being put on, parts to be gotten, and pay packets to be earned. For Judi Dench, it seems Shakespeare must have been a particular gold mine because of her astonishing memory. She has huge swathes of the plays and sonnets committed to memory. She doesn’t just know the words; she keenly analyzes the structure and how changes from prose to poetry and other distinctions inform meaning. Her interpretation of the part of Lady Macbeth, which begins the book, is a master class.

In addition, Dench seems to remember practically every detail of every productions she was ever in. Who else was in the play, who directed, who was in the crew, what the costumes were like. Best of all, she has a seemingly never-ending supply of stories of stage happenings, especially mishaps. The time she tugged so hard on her scene partner’s dress that the seam tore and they had to finish the scene with the partner’s underwear showing. The time she had on a coat to keep warm while waiting to go on, and realized with seconds to spare that she hadn’t put on her skirt. The misbehavior she and her castmates got up to.

Dench is highly opinionated about the plays and her parts. She hates The Merchant of Venice and says it was a misery to be in it. As noted, she loves Macbeth, and she’s been both Ophelia and Gertrude in Hamlet, alongside a bevy of standout lead actors.

The origin of this book was a series of conversations between Dench and her longtimr friend, actor/director Brendan O’Hea, apparently meant for an archive. The idea to turn their conversations into a book came later. I understand that Dench and O’Hea are doing at least one live conversation in May as a fundraiser for The Watermill Theatre in Bagnor, England.

In the audiobook, the conversations that Dench had with O’Hea are recreated with Judi’s part narrated by Barbara Flynn. When I listened to the podcast of Dench and O’Hea at the end of the audiobook, I realized why Dench doesn’t do her own part of the conversation for the audiobook. O’Hea mentions that he had to edit down over 100 hours of their conversations for the book. Once he had his edited manuscript, he could record his part, but Dench has macular degeneration and says she can’t read now. We do get to hear Dench declaim several bits of Shakespeare, though, and narrator Flynn does a good job, especially with Dench’s frequent chuckles.

It was delightful to listen to this memoir, fascinating and often laugh-out-loud funny. If you already love Judi Dench, then this book is a no-brainer. But who else is it for? Shakespeare fans, actors and would-be actors, and anybody who enjoys memoirs, especially ones with plenty of humor.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea was a shining 5 ⭐️.
This was absolutely delightful! I took a Shakespeare class my senior year in high school and fell in love with his work then and there.
Judi and Brendon wrote a relatable nonfiction dialogue that kept me enraptured. It reads like an interview that flowed flawlessly. It was a comfortable setting that had me understanding Judi Dench’s mind and experience in a way I hadn’t seen before. I’m truly in awe of her talent. I had already started reading this when I was offered the audiobook. You guys, I thought it was even better than the book! It felt so personal and fun. It’s like I was sitting in the audience. It was narrated by Barbara Flynn, Brendan O'Hea and Judi Dench. I can’t say enough good things about this. It’s a must read/listen and hope you love it as much as I did. I highly recommend it.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't wait to finish it! The narrator was perfect, the tale delicious, and the writing superb.

Release Date: April 24, 2024

📖📖📖📖📖

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. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O’Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare’s plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans. Interspersed with vignettes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, she serves up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour, striking level of honesty and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes, many of which have remained under lock and key until now.

Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig...Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire 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. She is a legendary actress and to get to hear her “backstage” stories was such a treat. I laughed so much during this audiobook and the enthusiasm of Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea is contagious. Even though the audiobook is not Judi Dench’s voice, it is her words (though with less cussing) and her stories. I also loved the audiobook, Barbara Flynn and Brendan O’Hea do a lovely job reading. Then there’s a little conversation at the end that is more of a podcast than an audiobook and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#shakespearethemanwhopaystherent #damejudidench #mcmillanaudio #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookbloggersofinstagram

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench; Brendan O'Hea
Narrated by Barbara Flynn; Brendan O'Hea; Judi Dench

I laughed so much during this audiobook and the enthusiasm of Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea is contagious. Big deal if I know so little about Shakespeare's work, I could listen to these two talk about their time acting Shakespeare for hours on end. Getting to listen to these two argue, squabble, tease, and laugh just made everything they were saying so much more funny.

Apparently Judi swears about every third word so just know that even though you only hear a few swear words here and there, in reality the conversations between Judi and Brendan were just one big swear word bonanza. And they laugh so much, you can tell how much fun they had acting Shakespeare. For someone (me) who has seen and read so little Shakespeare, I do know quite a bit about his work and listening to Judi describe her time acting the various parts is so interesting. It's also interesting hearing them talk about how Shakespeare invented so many words and phrases that we use today. I had no idea how often I'm quoting Shakespeare and never even knew I was doing it.

Judi can no longer see to read so when you hear her quoting Shakespeare, as she does at the beginning of chapters, this is Judi quoting from memory. Her stories of those she worked with, the plays she acted in, her highs and lows, are so fascinating. Of course Shakespeare is just a part of all her accomplishments, she is such an talented person and I'm so glad that Brendan O'Hea wanted to have these conversations with her and wanted to share them with us.

This audiobook was 5 stars of entertainment for me. I will try to get my hands on a print copy of the book since there is mention of Judi's doodles making an appearance in the print book. While we hear Judi's voice quoting Shakespeare before each chapter and also get to hear her in freestyle chit chat with Brendan (there was a lot of microphone drooping and they had fun with that innuendo) at the end of the book, as I understand it, Barbara Flynn narrates Judi's conversations (sans a zillion swear words) with Brendan for the body of the chapters. There is so much laughter, so much a sense of how much fun they have together and how much respect they have for each other and their work. I loved hearing about both actors I know and actors I didn't know well (even though they might be world famous) and all the silly things that would happen while performing or rehearsing the work. And then there are Judi's thoughts on what a character might be thinking, why they might have done this or that, she has done a great job of making me want look at Shakespeare's work in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is so magical and wonderful. You do not need to like Shakespeare or have read any of his plays to enjoy this book, but it certainly makes it a lot more fun. The love that Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea both have for Shakespeare is absolutely intoxicating. Also Judi Dench is possibly the cutest person to have ever existed. She doesn't take anything, especially herself, too seriously and she loves people so deeply and so passionately. Her views on acting are incredible, if you're interested in being an actor I think her insights are invaluable. However, if you're not interested in acting this book is still so wonderful. She has such an interesting perspective on the world, anyone can learn from her. I really can't say enough good things. This is by far my favorite celebrity memoir and I think a big part of why is that this is very accidentally a memoir, Judi Dench has just entwined Shakespeare with her life so much that she can't tell the story of one without the other.
I also loved the audiobook, Barbara Flynn and Brendan O’Hea do a lovely job reading. Then there's a little conversation at the end that is more of a podcast than an audiobook and it's the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life. If Dame Judi Dench starts accepting applications for grandchildren to adopt I will fight my way to the top of that list.