on broadway by Robet Simonson
DAME JUDI DENCH
There is an unspoken but strictly prescribed schedule by which Britain's stage stars acheieve fame in the U.S. It takes about 30 years, during which the actor slaves away in the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and occasionally the West End.
Once they are safely past their salad days, they are invited to come to New York, where Broadway belatedly discovers them and proclaims them international treasures.
In recent years titans such as Michael Gambon and Nigel Hawthorne have followed this roundabout path to stateside stardom. The latest to collect handsomely on her dues-paying is Dame Judi Dench, the tiny tempest at the center of David Hare's Amy's View. Her Broadway star is almost comically late in coming; the last time she appeared on these shores was in 1958, as the maid Maria in a touring Old Vic production of Twelfth Night. She has since graduated to Viola, playing the role at least four times, between repeated turns as Juliet, Lady Macbeth and Isabella.
When first spied on Broadway, Dench was described by critic Brooks Atkinson as "a compact, mischievous little lady with dancing feet and sparkling eyes." Truthfully, matters haven't changed much in 40 years, although Atkinson might have mentioned her singular voice, which fluctuates between a massaging purr to a pulverizing growl. Those feline sounds come from a cat-like face, with deep-set almond-shaped eyes, a turned-up nose, high wide cheekbones and a rock-solid jawlline. It is a face worthy of Mount Rushmore, which is perhaps why (despite her diminutive stature of 5'1") she is routinely called upon to play life's imposing types, from queens (Shakespeare in Love, Mrs. Brown) to divas (Sally Bowles in the London premiere of Cabaret) to femme fatales(Filumena.)
Yet, though Dench's mug is second in fierceness only to a Greek mask, it is infinitely expressive. One senses heartbreak upon the hardened mouth, mirth in the eyebrows and warmth and tenderness behind the eyes. If there is a limitation to her versatility, it is that one cannot imagine this totem of worldliness and knowingness playing a naif. But after over 40 years in the business, you can hardly expect judi Dench to play dumb.
thanks to Marie for sending the article to Emma and to Emma for scanning it.