Title: Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent
Author: Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea
Narrators: Brendan O’Hea and Barbara Flynn, with Judi Dench
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: April 23, 2024
Print length: 400 pages
Audio length: 12 hours 5 minutes
Genre: Non-fiction / memoir / literature
Source: Library
Rating:

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.

This audiobook makes my list of one of my most enjoyable listens of 2025! In this remarkable book, Dame Judi Dench discusses her many roles in Shakespeare productions, going back to her very first professional roles and taking us through her experiences in the decades that followed. What becomes immediately apparent is her great love for Shakespeare, and even more astounding, her in-depth, detailed recall and understanding of the great lines and moments she’s performed over the years.

This book started as a series of recorded conversations between Judi Dench and Shakespearean actor and director Brendan O’Hea, with whom Ms. Dench has worked with many times over the years. The conversations took place over a period of four years, with the duo originally intending to donate the recordings to the archives of the Globe. But over time, the authors realized that there might be content here to appeal to a broader audience, and thus we have this book.

In it, the authors discuss all of Dame Judi’s roles, going play by play and character by character. It’s extraordinary to witness her vivid descriptions of the costumes, sets, and fellow actors, as well as the tone of the production and the specifics of working with different directors. Beyond the story of her experiences acting are deeper reflections on the content of the plays themselves, with vastly insightful thoughts on Shakespeare’s writing, what he includes or doesn’t include in the play, and why these plays still have meaning for today’s audiences and readers.

There’s so much to learn here! I’ve taken Shakespeare courses (long, long ago), but don’t remember learning nearly as much in that context as I did here, especially in terms of what is conveyed by whether lines are written in iambic pentameter or blank verse or prose. She discusses where breaths fall and how lines are delivered, pacing of speech and in-the-moment decisions about intonation and emphasis. It’s fascinating.

Equally fascinating are the tidbits about different productions and the reactions of critics to seemingly small details. I also picked up plenty of little trivia items along the way. For example, I don’t think I ever knew that in Shakespeare’s time, it was illegal to perform a wedding on-stage in a theatrical production — which is why weddings in Shakespeare’s plays take place offstage or aren’t shown in full.

The audiobook experience is terrific. While Brendan O’Hea reads his part of the conversations, narrator Barbara Flynn stands in for Judi Dench. I was disappointed at first not to be hearing Judi Dench throughout, but Barbara Flynn does such a great job that she melts into the part she’s playing, and I often forgot that I wasn’t listening to the actor herself. However, Judi Dench does the reading for the Shakespearean lines that start each chapter, and there’s a really amusing little extra at the end of the audiobook which is a recording of an additional conversation between her and Brendan. It’s very, very funny.

While the audiobook conveys the content in full, and is an amazing way to appreciate the lines from the plays throughout, it’s worth mentioning that the hard copy of the book includes sketches by Judi Dench herself. I’d recommend at least borrowing a library edition of the hard copy to follow along as you enjoy the audiobook. For me, I was loving the audio so much that I just had to have a print edition of my own, and made myself a little holiday gift of the hardcover version.

Not only did I love the stories and insights, but I also gained knowledge about plays I hadn’t read or encountered before. Reading this book has inspired me to read (and then try to find film versions) of more Shakespeare plays.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent is a phenomenal audiobook experience. For anyone who loves Shakespeare and the history of theater, I’d say it’s a must read and/or must listen! And beyond the academic aspects, it’s lovely to hear Judi Dench’s reminiscences and personal stories about her life in theater and what it’s all meant to her.

Definitely a 5-star experience. Don’t miss it.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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