Cathleen's Reviews > Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

I was confident I would enjoy this, but I did not anticipate the depth of my adoration.

Part memoir, part masterclass on performing and interpreting the Bard, and part friendship eavesdrop, this was sheer delight. I often lost myself to listening longer than intended, and my expectation that the jumping from play to play might seem disjointed was proven utterly false. On display is an irresistible respect for the craft, whether the plays themselves or the staging: language, delivery, costuming, cast collaboration, and engagement with audience. It may seem cliché to express this way, but it's nonetheless true: I was transported. Again and again. When I started, I thought I might skim some sections and spend the most time with those plays I knew best, but there was no hierarchy. I loved it all, especially when delivered with such wit and insight and purity.

IMHO, O'Hea should have received more than a subordinate "with Brendan O'Hea" credit, including cover mention, because he provides the trellis on which Dench's reminiscences grow and flower. Indubitably she is the star - in character, experience, and perspicacity - but this is a collaboration. It would not have shone as brightly without someone as knowledgeable and trusted providing the vision and bringing out her best, beautifully complemented with his own expertise.

Now please excuse me while I indulge in re-watches of my favorite adaptations and seek out new ones, especially for the few gaps on my Shakespeare dance card.

audiobook note: Casting Barbara Flynn, a talented actress in her own right, to stand in for Dame Judy was inspired. Her natural voice and cadence is not far off from Dench's, so much so that you can be forgiven for sometimes forgetting it is a different reader. However, she delicately balances bringing the Dench mischief and gravitas without enacting an impersonation. To Flynn's credit, the experience of the listener is fully rewarding, embracing the similar resonance without any aural 'uncanny valley' disparity. A bonus included on the audio is a taped debrief between Dench and O'Hea, which is fun, but audio readers should also seek out a print copy in order to delight in the drawings included from Dench's script notes.