Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before -- 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.

About the Author

JUDI DENCH was first acclaimed in 1960 as the Juliet of her generation. She has triumphed with the RSC, on the West End, at the National Theatre, and on Broadway. She has been honored with every award given for performances on stage and screen. In 1970, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire and created a Dame of the British Empire in 1988.

BRENDAN O'HEA is an actor and director. Brendan trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has directed at Shakespeare’s Globe.