It’s no surprise that we’re big fans of Dame Judi Dench here at Shakespeare Geek. I feel the same way about Sir Ian McKellen. When legends walk among us we must pay attention, because they do not do so forever. Dame Judi is 90 years old now and almost completely blind, so we’ll not be getting any more stage work from her. But when she speaks, we should listen, because one day that beautiful voice will be a memory. (Unless, I suppose, you waited on the waiting list for her audiobook?)
Maybe it’s the universe, maybe it’s the algorithm. But Dame Judi’s appearing frequently on my radar these days, and if all I can do is help amplify that signal, then so let it be done. She’s not showing signs of ever stopping.
- Far Out Magazine gives us the role Dench would never play. I’m not click bait here, I’ll just tell you — Nurse (from Romeo and Juliet). Well…yeah? Who in god’s name is casting Dame Judi Dench as Nurse? I’d pay to watch her recite the entire play as a one-woman show (very much like another Shakespeare legend, Sir Patrick Stewart).
- Readers in the UK might be able to tell me what the “ghost woods” are? Apparently Judi’s leading a petition to “bring them back.” Where’d they go? The petition got over 100,000 signatures in just three weeks. Go sign it!
- She’s also using her star power to bring attention to early dementia diagnosis, teaming up with Alzheimer’s Research UK. “A diagnosis may not fix everything, but it gives people understanding, clarity, and some control at a time when everything feels uncertain. It allows families to make the most of the moments they have left. That’s why I’ve signed Alzheimer’s Research UK’s petition – and why I’m asking the public to do the same.”
Lastly, a story that I’m glad I missed. When I first started this blog oh so many years ago, I used to tell a Howard Stern story. This was back when he was on “terrestrial” radio, I haven’t actually heard him in years. But for whatever reason, I’ve long since forgotten, there was a Shakespeare reference that I heard on his show in the way in to work. And I thought, “I have no one to talk about that with. Nobody at work cares that Howard Stern just referenced Shakespeare.” It was moments like that which led directly to the blog being born. (Look at that, I found the post!)
Well last month, news-anchor Robin Quivers issued an apology to Dami Judi for accidentally broadcasting that she had died. I’m glad I missed this, because it would have infuriated me. The whole clip is there in the story, and it’s not a case of “the news person was just reading an incorrect story.” Quivers takes it upon herself to say “you’ll never meet her, because she’s dead.” The topper is when she knows it’s true because, “I’m a huge fan of hers.” No, you’re clearly not. We here at Shakespeare Geek are true fans of Dame Judi Dench.
What strikes me most about Dame Judi’s enduring presence is how she continues to use her platform for meaningful causes even as her performing career winds down. The dementia awareness campaign particularly resonates – here’s someone who built her career on memory, on the precise delivery of countless lines, now advocating for those facing the loss of that very faculty. There’s something both heartbreaking and inspiring about that commitment.
And perhaps that’s what separates true legends from mere celebrities. Dame Judi isn’t content to simply rest on her considerable laurels or retreat from public life. At 90, nearly blind, she’s still fighting for causes that matter – whether it’s preserving natural spaces or advancing medical research. She understands that her voice carries weight, and she’s determined to use it while she still can. That’s the mark of someone who truly grasps the responsibility that comes with being beloved by millions.