Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

By: Judi Dench, Brendan O'Hea

Narrated by: Barbara Flynn, Brendan O'Hea, Judi Dench

"In a remarkable performance, Flynn laughs, jokes, and calls O'Hea to task when he's wrong—all sounding very much like the famous Dench...The final segment has Dench (in her own voice) and O'Hea engaged in friendly, very funny, squabbling. Informative, educational and altogether brilliant listening!"—AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)

This program includes interstitial narration from Judi Dench and a bonus conversation between the authors.

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

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"A magical love letter to Shakespeare"—Kenneth Branagh

"A literary demonstration of how the iconic actor has lost none of her energy, flair, and fiery intelligence... Dench’s memoir of the roles she has loved is a witty, thoroughly entertaining romp through the Shakespearean world."—Kirkus (starred review)

"...it’s a mark of Dench’s impish genius and O’Hea’s deftness that it genuinely feels like you’re sitting at her kitchen table with her. It’s companionable and compelling–if you love Judi Dench or Shakespeare (and most of us do), look no further."—The Guardian

Shakespeare and the Dame!

Loved hearing the stories and have recommended to all my friends. Thank you both for sharing.

Grateful

I am so grateful for the gift of this memoir. What a treat and a blessing to hear the thoughts and memories of someone who has lived and breathed Shakespeare. It gives the listener the proverbial fly-on-the-wall experience. Thank you.

Absolute brilliance.

I could listen to these two well actually three, forever. What an extraordinary life! For Shakespeare lovers it’s absolutely fascinating and delicious. For one who is new to Shakespeare, it is a fantastic introduction to all the storylines. Such a treat!

Hi much the reader sounds like Judi!!

Loved hearing Dame Judi Dench’s stories of her time with Shakespeare and his plays. Such a special inside baseball experience. And I love how saucy she is!

The best ever course on Shakespeare

Superb narration, wonderful deep dive into Shakespeare's plays, extraordinary accounts of language and performances, great humorous exchanges between the two narrators

So much personality

Judi and Brendan breathed life into these stories and Shakespeare, and Barbara did a fantastic job giving Judi voice. It makes me want to pick up some of Shakespeare's works again!

Perfect for fans of Shakespeare

I pre-ordered this months ago, and have been waiting for it for months. it arrived on April 23, the day on which we celebrate Shakespeare's birthday, and I listened to the whole thing in one day. I enjoyed every minute of it.

wonderful on so many levels

the words of Shakespeare. Hearing judy speak the lines. Her insights into the plays. Her insights into acting. Her stories about other productions and other actors. so much more. if you don't like Shakespeare or judy Dench you would still enjoy this audiobook

Fascinating Conversation and Much Laughter

Fantastic conversation between two legends of the Shakespearean stage. Fascinating, hilarious and thought provoking. I also learned a great deal. Utterly superb audiobook.

Great interview and insights

This was such a great overview of Shakespeare and Judi Dench’s career. It was a fascinating and fun listen!