I've been a fan of Judi Dench since her days in various Britcoms--"As Time Goes By" being a favorite. In this book Dame Judi shares anecdotes about her life as an actor--a life that included working with such greats as Sir John Gielgud, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, John Mills, Trevor Nunn, and spanned roles as varied as Shakespeare heroines, Queens Elizabeth I and Victoria, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Iris Murdoch, "M" in the recent James Bond films, and Aereon in "Chronicles of Riddick." It's not a biography because, as she says in the preface, that's already been done. She chose, instead, to tell stories about her life that were not included in the two previous volumes by John Miller. It's definitely not a "tell all" with lurid tales of racy escapades. The most "shocking" thing in it are the practical jokes she and other actors played on each other. Instead it's a chronicle of the work she has done on the stage, on television, and in the movies in a career that began in the late 1950s. One of the most amusing parts was her rant on "Merchant of Venice." It's not often you hear a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company dissing one of his most famous plays. Those not familiar with her body of work may find her tales uninteresting but I enjoyed it. Now I guess I should read the actual biographies.
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