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Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

by Judi Dench; Brendan O'Hea

St. Martin's Press ·2024 ·400 pages
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94/99
Top of the Pile

92/99

Critics' Rating Index

Top of the Pile

96/99

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Scholars' Citation Index

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Volume of Reviews

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About This Book

Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before by ordering internationally renowned actor Dame Judi Dench's SHAKESPEARE: The Man Who Pays The Rent—a witty, insightful journey through the plays and tales of our beloved Shakespeare. 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.


Reviews

"Utterly delightful ..."

Rupert Christiansen· The Telegraph (UK) Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Mischievous and convivial, Dench delights in sending up O'Hea whenever his questions become too probing or pretentious ..."

Michael Simkins· The Guardian Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Instead, it is a delight, at once lively, captivating and informative."

Malcolm Forbes· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"It also results in a surprisingly pacy read."

Sarah Gilmartin· The Irish Times Read review ↗ Near the Top

"[Dench's] passion for Shakespeare shines through every conversation reproduced here ..."

Stephanie Merritt· The Guardian Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"It's a refreshingly loose exploration of the Bard's oeuvre."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Near the Top

"[Dench's] memory is razor-sharp and her knowledge of Shakespeare's plays is encyclopedic ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Serious and thoughtful without being stuffy, this work shows Dench's terrific sense of fun as she relates hilarious anecdotes that will make readers laugh out loud."

Penelope J. M. Klein· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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