Judi Dench on Graham Norton last night

[PuppyMonkey]

Just in case anybody missed this, a little piece of magic.

Also Jay Blades choking up remembering the chap who saved his life one very low day for him.

Proper emotional.

Go watch some of the plays! You will understand them. Midsummer Night's Dream or Much Ado About Nothing are good to start with.

Perfect!! Shakespeare for teenagers 😄

The one at the Sondheim prom at the Albert Hall? She sang! And she’s quite flat at times, but that only adds to the effect — her take on it is completely brilliant. It’s not a romantic song, it’s bitter and rueful. It suits JD’s voice far better than lots of excellent singers’ — SS wrote it for Glynis Johns, who couldn’t sustain a note for long, so it’s quite clipped.

The Merchant of Venice is not his best work. Have you watched Romeo and Juliet (the DiCaprio version)? Or MacBeth (the Fassbender version)?

It is worth reading a little plot summary first. I like opera (and speak Italian) but I'm buggered knowing what the hell is going on unless I've read the dumbed down plot beforehand. Sounds nice but I'm lost.

Do you think?! I like Merchant of Venice. The film version with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons is masterly. Macbeth isn't so complex IMO. I love the bit in the DiCaprio R&J where the guns are brand-named 'sword' and 'longsword'. Very clever.

Oh my goodness, so much better than Parkinson, who could barely disguise his lack of interest in interviewing women.

Thanks, enjoyed that :)

Monday night on BBC2 there's a 2016 film "All Is True" about the last 3 years of Shakespeare's life, when the Globe Theatre in London burned down and he returned to his family in Stratford - Kenneth Branagh plays Shakespeare and Judi Dench his wife Anne Hathaway. IIRC this sonnet is spoken in the film by Ian McKellen who plays the Earl of Southampton

Oh my goodness, so much better than Parkinson, who could barely disguise his lack of interest in interviewing women

Agreed.

I know Parkinson was a National Treasure. I'm in Ireland so don't really get to say - but I couldn't understand the love.

Those famous interviews with 'prickly' women like the Meg Ryan one ... he was obnoxious to her, I can completely see why she reacted as she did.

He was good friends with our own national treasure, Gay Byrne & I watched an early interview he did on the Late Late. Really condescending & supercilious (tho Gay wasn't much better in the interview either).

Graham Norton is amazing. And genuinely relaxed and non-starry when back in Cork.

Though, tbf, he did acknowledge that in a documentary not too long before he passed away. He was embarrassed by the way he spoke to Meg Ryan and Helen Mirren and fully accepted that he had been an utter tit. Even so, still prefer Graham, he’s superb.

Was a fantastic show last night, I laughed and cried. The producers clearly put a lot of thought into the “sofa” and what personalities will work well together. Apart from the obvious Dame Judi and Jay Blades parts, I did lol at Arnies ski and hot chocolate and Jack Whitehalls stripper/baby name stories.

😂 that actually made me LOL

And thank you OP for this thread.

I cried watching this - so powerful

And thank you @HideousKinky for that film recommendation. Think I'll also give your namesake a re-watch too.

Sadly I don’t think she is doing theatre again, is she?

Wonderful, OP, thanks for sharing.

Dame Judi is a national treasure, I love her. Saw her on stage in The Cherry Orchard over 30 years ago, and she was mesmerising. A true talent!

Love Sonnet 29 also.

Here you go:

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/shakespeares-sonnets/about-shakespeares-sonnets

Wonderful! And so was Arnie - funny clever bloke - I didn't realise.

I am going to watch Othello at the Riverside studio in Hammersmith today.
Really looking forward to it

Going to rewatch this episode of The Graham Norton Show. Great tv