Synopsis: “You might think you know Judi Dench. In a seven-decade career, she’s been a spymaster, an Oscar-winning queen and has starred in musicals, blockbusters, tragedies and comedies. But what makes her tick? How did she become so successful and for so long? And why did her mother occasionally feel obliged to spray her with a garden hose?

Spend time in her company as Judi gradually starts to reveal herself, in collaboration with her friend and writing partner, Brendan O’Hea. With her actor’s gift for storytelling, she takes us back to her upbringing in York: the parents who shaped her, the brother who encouraged her to act and the teachers who inspired her.

She tells of pranks, onstage and off, dissects her greatest screen roles and shares tales of her joyful marriage to actor Michael Williams, as well as her passion for nature and animals. From being locked out of the Oscars to almost coming a cropper to a pack of crocodiles in Borneo, Judi’s life has been nothing if not adventurous. Just don’t ask her to cook you a meal.

Funny, intimate, surprising, moving and over ninety years in the making, this is the story of Britain’s most beloved actor.”

My Review

This was such a lovely listen, and a real surprise. I’m really glad I borrowed it from the library via the Borrowbox app.

It’s a lovely conversation between Judi Dench and her friend and writing partner Brendan O’Hea, about all aspects of her life, personal and as an actor. I didn’t realise what a scamp Dame Judi is, and actually always has been! It had me laughing out loud and smiling the whole time I was listening.

Some of my favourite anecdotes were about her growing up in York during World War 2, her time at a Quaker boarding school that has continually shaped her life. The great fun she had filming Mrs Brown with Billy Connolly, and her experiences playing M in the James Bond franchise. Her friendship with Maggie Smith. Her love of animals and trees, and of course her late husband Mikey (Michael Williams), daughter Finty and grandson Sammie. In fact the book is dedicated to them.

Barbara Flynn read Judi Dench’s responses to Brendan O’Hea’s questions, and she was so good that I forgot that it wasn’t listening to Judi Dench herself.

Highly recommended if you’re a Judi Dench fan, or just want something uplifting to listen to.