Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by…

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent (edition 2024)

by Judi Dench (Author), Brendan O'Hea (Author)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
175	5	158,030	(4.37)	3
"Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before by pre-ordering internationally renowned actor Dame Judi Dench's SHAKESPEARE: The Man Who Pays The Rent - a witty, insightful journey through the playsand 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"--… (more)

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Member:	FormerEnglishTeacher
Title:	Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent
Authors:	Judi Dench (Author)
Other authors:	Brendan O'Hea (Author)
Info:	St. Martin's Press (2024), 400 pages
Collections:	Your library
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Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench (Author)

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A series of interviews with Dench about playing (and a few times directing) Shakespeare parts. Organized by play (and then by part within each play where relevant), this was a fantastic read, and very easy to find only the bits you are interested, should one wish to do so. Excellent if you are interested in Shakespeare, of course, but quite good, too, just on acting in general (and some snippets about Dench's life and friendships). Absolutely recommended if it pings you at all. (

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lycomayflower | May 21, 2024 |

I’ve always admired Judi Dench, and her acting, in whatever role she is in. I am a retired high school English teacher who taught Shakespeare for many years. For most of those 40 years I taught “Romeo and Juliet” to 9th graders, and it often surprised people I talked to about this that R&J was really an easy sell to 15-year-olds. The connections to their own lives were many and the bard’s language was not a problem after the first few scenes. Dench’s book is filled with stories about her acting experiences in the plays, both those well known as well as the more obscure ones. She is obviously a scholar of Shakespeare’s works, and her insight into her interpretations of those plays is fascinating. I have to admit that I jumped around in the book, reading about the titles I was more familiar with first and then reading about the less known plays. The structure of the book allows for that. I think “Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent” will appeal to a wide audience, not just those who have read Shakespeare’s plays. Anyone who saw the Academy Award-winning film “Shakespeare in Love” and enjoyed it and Judi Dench’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth will undoubtedly enjoy her book. Those who decide to try it need to keep in mind that they don’t have to read every word of the book. It’s a smorgasbord that, as I said, can be picked chapter by chapter as one sees fit. I highly recommend it. (

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FormerEnglishTeacher | May 15, 2024 |

This is a memoir written by Brendan O'Hea from hours and hours of notes and tape recordings of interviews with Judi Dench. It's what you would expect in such a book but because Ms Dench is so very special and because she's known Mr. O'Hea for a long time the reader is drawn to visualize them sitting together over snacks talking about playing Shakespeare.

Now I'm a fan of Shakespeare (not a scholar, just a fan) and so this book is full of interesting stuff. Don't give it to someone who doesn't like Shakespeare, regardless of how much they might like Judi Dench.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com. (

)

Dokfintong | May 9, 2024 |

laugh-riot, laugh-out-loud, situational-humor, verbal-humor, historic-theatres, interviews, actors, family, famous-persons, commentary, memories, stage-plays, unputdownable*****

William Shakespeare is the unseen protagonist in this fun and fascinating book of the memories of this very well-known, energetic, and talented actress. The book is chaptered by Shakespeare's plays and the characters she portrayed. Expect insights, bloopers, and general hilarity amongst the historical facts relating to the time in which the plays were written.
The goal of the writer "had been to record her talking about all the Shakespeare parts she had played and offer it to the archive department at Shakespeare's globe." "The title is derived from the name that Judi and her husband gave to Shakespeare when they were working for the Royal Shakespeare Company." "The interviews were conducted over four years."
A wonderful book to be enjoyed again and again!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 23 Apr 2024 (

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jetangen4571 | Feb 28, 2024 |

I doubt there’s another book that can teach you more about Shakespeare’s oeuvre. OK, you’re not going to learn every line, but I can’t think of a better way to access the breadth of the plays, their themes, the challenges for actors, and the way directors and actors work to bring Shakespeare to life.

And the bonus? It’s all delivered in a wonderfully entertaining dialogue between Judi and Brendan. Like a very fine wine, satisfying to the last drop. 🍷 (

)

PhilipJHunt | Dec 30, 2023 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Dench, Judi	Author	primary author	all editions	confirmed
O'Hea, Brendan	Author	main author	all editions	confirmed
Dench, Judi	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Flynn, Barbara	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
O'Hea, Brendan	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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"Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before by pre-ordering internationally renowned actor Dame Judi Dench's SHAKESPEARE: The Man Who Pays The Rent - a witty, insightful journey through the playsand 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"--

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