National treasure Dame Judi Dench has admitted she is concerned that social media is taking over, and believes that theatres could pay the price
Dame Judi Dench has admitted she fears for the future of theatre. In an interview to promote a new TV show with fellow theatre star Kenneth Branagh, Judi was asked if theatre had evolved since she first took to the stage in 1957.
She said: “All I can hope is that theatre has evolved. With the onset of social media and I believe a marked lack of interest in the Arts, I fear that the younger generations won’t have the benefit or interest in the theatre like we all had.”
Judi, 91,insisted the stage had been a huge help to her acting during an incredible career. She is known for starring in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.
She said: “In every single play or production I have ever done, I’ve learnt something new. That comes not just from the play or the director, but also from your fellow actors. Each production offers countless opportunities to keep learning and growing.
“I knew in Antony & Cleopatra that there was a line of Cleopatra that was intended to get a laugh – on the 100th performance I got the laugh.”
In Peter Hall’s 1987 National Theatre production of Antony and Cleopatra, Judi Dench took Shakespeare’s character and re-created it from her own personality and imagination. She was alongside Antony Hopkins as Antony. Critics have described it as one of Dench’s greatest performances.
Michael Billington wrote in the Guardian: “Dench gave us a Cleopatra whose sexuality stemmed from her volatility, intelligence and wit: a woman of infinite variety who was enthralling company and an irresistible magnetic force, drawing Anthony Hopkins’s jaded warrior of an Antony back to Egypt.”
But it didn’t always go this week. Recalling her first ever stage performance playing Ophelia in 1957, Dench told Branagh: “I was in a kind of haze. We opened at the Liverpool Playhouse. It didn’t go well.
“They didn’t like somebody completely unknown playing the part. It was a bit dodgy.” Thankfully, she was encouraged and kept on in the theatre company and given smaller roles to build up her confidence again. She would go on to become one of the great British actors.
Dench has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and six Baftas. As well as her stage performances, she is well known for portraying M in eight James Bond films.
Tea with Judi Dench sees her joined by Branagh for a one-off show on Sky Arts. They reflect on their remarkable careers and personal journeys in an intimate and insightful discussion. Dench said they share a similar sense of humour and she added: “What I admire most is his attitude to work, his commitment to what he does, and of course his sense of humour – those are the first things that stand out. Also, his respect for the theatre and the work he does.”
* Tea with Judi Dench airs 22 December on Sky Arts, Freeview, and streaming service NOW
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