Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent
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4.4 • 25 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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.
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.
Instructive and witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this fascinating read, Dame Judi Dench sits down with fellow actor and instructor Brendan O’Hea for a series of conversations about the impact of Shakespeare’s work both on Dench as an actress and on Western culture as a whole. These are fascinating discussions on meaning, technique, and Dench’s life on the stage—from underfunded rep-company tours to agreeing to appear in Benedict Cumberbatch’s lauded production of Richard III because he asked her to during an audience Q and A. This is a joy for lovers of literature, drama, and the wonderful Ms. Dench.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
For this exuberant collection, O'Hea, an actor at Shakespeare's Globe theater, brings together his interviews with Dench (Behind the Scenes) about the many Shakespearean roles and productions in her seven-decade career. Conducted over four years and originally intended for the Globe's archives, the lively conversations bounce from backstage reminiscences ("I wouldn't know how to get ready unless there were jokes and pants flying through the air") to irreverent commentary on the plays ("Oh my God, I loathed it," Dench says about The Merchant of Venice, objecting to its irredeemable characters and antisemitism). Dench's accessible musings feel like learning about Shakespeare from a favorite teacher, as when she notes how the contrast between Romeo's metaphor-rich language and Juliet's "straight to the point" responses in the balcony scene reveal how "she has no guile about her. And there's no time to be flowery—she's too anxious about Romeo's safety." Of particular value are Dench's lucid insights on her craft: "Acting is learning how to edit. It's not just about what you put in, but probably more importantly what you choose to chuck out." The breezy discussions make up in energy and passion for what they lack in rigor. It's a refreshingly loose exploration of the Bard's oeuvre. Illus.
Customer Reviews
Riches…
There’s so much to love in this marvelous book. There’s the opportunity of going backstage with a great Shakespearean actress, of learning how she and the other actors put together some of the most iconic performances of Shakespeare’s plays. And then there’s a chance to savor his writing, his imagination, and his tremendous humanity. A delight from start to finish.