If you’re from London or have visited the city in the past few decades, chances are you’ve seen Dame Judi Dench onstage. She moved there in 1957 from the Yorkshire countryside, and since then, has played Ophelia in Hamlet as well as the title heroine in countless other Shakespeare productions, from Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet. Once, during a performance of Antony and Cleopatra, she inadvertently lost a snake, only to find it slithering out from under her wig during her bow. Non-theater buffs will know Dench as “M” from the James Bond films and Queen Elizabeth I from Shakespeare in Love. Most recently, Dench has co-written the book Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent with Brendan O’Hea; out this week, it’s an exploration of every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career.
When not dazzling viewers on stage or screen, the eight-time Oscar nominee stays busy seeing plays, eating at her favorite restaurants, and visiting a museum or two. Here, she shares her guide to her adopted city. —Elena Clavarino
The old vic
This is such a beautiful theater and holds so many memories for me. During my time as a drama student in London, I’d frequently see shows there, sitting way up in the gods. I remember being completely star-struck watching John Neville and Richard Burton in Henry V. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when my first job out of drama school was playing Ophelia opposite Neville’s Hamlet. I had terrible reviews, but the director, Michael Benthall, stuck by me, nurturing my career, and I stayed with the company for four years. (oldvictheatre.com)
Nell of old drury
This is a very old pub in Covent Garden, right opposite the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and it’s where I first met my husband Michael [Williams]. He was appearing in a play called Celebration at the time. I hope it was after his show that I met him and not before. But who knows—in those days, actors would often have a drink before they went onstage. (greatukpubs.co)
prospect place
Where we had a small terraced house in Hampstead. We lived there for many years. It was a very pretty house, tall and narrow, and overlooked the Hampstead churchyard. My daughter, Finty, grew up there—her room was at the top of the stairs. We had two cats called Carpet and Newps (short for “newspaper,” I don’t remember why). Newps had a speech impediment and Carpet was vast—he could barely squeeze through the railings into the churchyard.
Tate britain
It’s a beautiful building in a wonderful setting. I love the space around it, and the river in front of it, and most of all I love what’s inside it. It houses some extraordinary paintings by J. M. W. Turner and that exquisite picture of Ophelia by John Everett Millais. (tate.org)
J sheekey
This is my favorite London restaurant. It is situated directly opposite the stage door of two theaters—Wyndham’s Theatre and the Noël Coward. Whenever I played in those theaters, as an occasional treat I’d order their delicious Lobster Thermidor and chips, and my dresser would go and collect it between shows. (j-sheekey.co)