Is it Too Late to Make a Run for it? by Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench doesn’t really need an introduction. She is an icon, although she would probably hate that term.

Aside from winning an OSCAR, four BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, eight Oliviers, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony, she became a Dame in 1988. She also has a pathway in her childhood city of York named after her, and, as she shares in this delightful book, even a waste-collection truck named in her honour, Dame Foodie Dench.

Yet fame has not gone to her head. Quite the opposite. This lovely collection of conversations with Judi Dench, captured by her long-time friend, actor, writer and theatre director Brendon O’Hea, features a lifetime of memories. The conversational style makes you feel as though you are sitting in the room as well, feeling privileged to be there. The book more or less follows the story of her life, except as is typical with conversations, it veers off from time to time. This leads to chapters in which she reminisces about her garden (she plants trees in memory of friends who have died), the animals she has had, and her experiences in both stage and film acting. She is probably most well-known recently for her role as M in the Bond film series. Her character was eventually killed off, and her recollection of conversations with the directors about their plan is hilarious.

She is part of the golden age of British stage and screen. Actors who were trained in their craft, who went on to act on the stage and also on screen, in television and film at a time that these genres were growing. Judi Dench provides a fascinating look at the differences in technique needed for each. Her ability to quote from scripts learned many years ago is impressive. She is now suffering from macular degeneration, which has meant learning to adapt her method for learning lines, and generally moving about carefully on set. She also reveals her cheeky side, and some of the pranks and ‘corpsing’ incidents that have taken place over her career.

She shares fond memories of her late husband, actor Michael Williams. They were married for almost 30 years and often acted together.  Her daughter Finty has followed in her parents’ footsteps and trained in drama, and her beloved grandson Sam also gets mentioned frequently in the book.

Dame Judi continues to live a very interesting life, and these conversations are just delightful to read. This book will be of particular interest to anyone who has been involved with the theatre and film, but for anyone who has ever seen her on screen or in the theatre, it is lovely to dip into.

Reviewer: Rachel White

Penguin