ALL ENDS well for Judi Dench, who has decided to return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time in more than 20 years.
In a coup for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Oscar-winning Dame has agreed to play the Countess of Rousillion in All's Well That Ends Well, with performances beginning in early December at the RSC's Swan Theatre.
It will be a moment rich in theatrical history. Judi has played most of Shakespeare's heroines over the years, but has never performed in the bard's socalled 'problem comedy'.
George Bernard Shaw hailed the role as the 'most beautiful old woman's part ever written', though Judi may not thank me for pointing it out. Director Greg Doran approached Judi 'out of the blue' and his timing was perfect.
Although she has back-to-back movies - she's about to travel to Vancouver to star with Vin Diesel in sci-fi thriller The Chronicles Of Riddick and then appear with Maggie Smith in Charles Dance's film directorial debut Ladies In Lavender - she was keen to do another UK play after deciding not to go with Dame Maggie and David Hare's hit The Breath Of Life to Broadway.
Judi said yesterday: 'Having spent so much of my career at Stratford it's wonderful to be going back. I have many memories of being very happy there.'
In a sense, it's like going home for the actress. Not only did she have many theatrical triumphs at Stratford, where she joined the RSC in 1961, but it's where brilliant actor Michael Williams courted her. They were married for more than 30 years. He died two years ago.
Rehearsals begin in October and the play will run in Stratford from December until February. Tickets will be hard to come by at Stratford but, luckily, the producers Thelma Holt and Bill Kenwright will present it for ten weeks in the West End. 'I'm very, very thrilled,' Ms Holt said yesterday.
Judi's last appearance at Stratford was as Imogen in Cymbeline in 1979, although her last RSC production - if we want to be proper about it - was in Peter Shaffer's Gift Of The Gorgan in London 11 years ago.
When she and Maggie appeared in Breath Of Life at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket until earlier this year, the run was a hit for producer Robert Fox.
This excerpt from a larger article appeared in the Daily Mail (UK) on July 11, 2003.