Close Encounter with Dame Judi Dench - at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond
An interview about her heroes and villains by local Barnes resident, author, Scrabble supremo and raconteur, Gyles Brandreth
Dame Judi Dench - Robert Wilson
“One of the benefits of being a mature well-educated woman is that you're not afraid of expletives. And you have no fear to put a fool in his place. That's the power of language and experience. You can learn a lot from Shakespeare.” So said one of Britain’s best loved actresses Dame Judi Dench about her forthright views.
Well, there’s a rare opportunity to judge for yourself when the great Dame becomes the very first of the Orange Tree Theatre’s guests in their current programme of fund-raising talks on stage in Richmond. And if you fancy the opportunity of sitting just feet away from the 10-times BAFTA winner and Bond star, and hearing her very personal take on theatre – while at the same time helping more than 10,000 local school children learn about the arts here is the opportunity.
Dame Judi is to be interviewed about her heroes and villains by local Barnes resident, author, Scrabble supremo and raconteur, Gyles Brandreth and, thanks to the compact size of the Orange Tree theatre, this promises to be an intimate audience with one of theatre’s royalty. Tickets cost £100 each and go on sale, online only, on May 9th 2017, at www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk.
Funds raised will support the theatre’s work including introducing schoolchildren to drama and particularly Shakespeare. Last year alone the theatre and its production team worked with 10,207 local children, including 4,800 from Richmond borough. Its “Primary Shakespeare” project reached 4,368 under-11s in a way that ensured every single pupil took part in a theatre workshop and attended a specially shortened performance of a Shakespeare play. This year’s Primary Shakespeare play will be that epic tale of family fall-out, greed and madness, King Lear, that the children should remember all their lives!
The Orange Tree Theatre is also putting south-west London on the map as a venue for rediscovering plays with up-to-the-minute relevance and nurturing innovative new works with the potential to become national treasures.
Liz Vercoe
May 5, 2017