Mary Lynn Travers met with Judi in her dressing room after the performance of The Royal Family. We all thank her for her continuing to think of those of us who couldn't be there and for sharing the experiences which make us feel as though we were sitting right there alongside her.CLICK HERE TO READ MARY LYNN'S REVIEW OF THE PLAY
After TRF performance last evening, I went to the stage door to meet Dame Judi. I was in a line of about a dozen people, which I didn't think was too bad. The play ended at 10:10pm and Helen and I got in line pretty quickly.
At 10:20pm, one of the stage managers, a nice man named Andrew, appeared in the doorway and asked the line "Is there a Mary Lynn here?" I looked at Helen and then raised my hand. The man asked me to come with him. I thought I was going to have a coronary! Was I in trouble? As I walked past these other people in the line, I could feel them loathing me immediately!
The man jumps into this little booth, and talks into a phone. "Yes, she's here. Okay. You're welcome" He hangs the phone up and tells me "Ok - you're all set. Dame Judi's dressing room is on the second level, the first room on the left after the small mirror."
As Helen and I headed that way, I said "What the hell is going on?" She told me to just shut up and move.
We got to the white door with the brass name plate engraved with Judi Dench. The door was partially open, so I knocked and yelled out "Hello".
Dame Judi's voice said "Come in". I walked into the outer part of her dressing room, and the four turbans she wears in the show are in a row on a table. I keep walking to the next door, and standing there, is Judi, in her bare feet, wearing Khaki pants and a short sleeve linen buttoned up linen shirt tucked into her pants. She looked wonderful!! I'd say she lost 10-15lbs since last February's ATGB taping. Up close, she is so petite and pretty. I introduced myself to her, she hugged me and said "it's lovely to meet you and thank you for coming over to see me. How did we do with the American accents?"
I was floored!! I told her fine, but she said she kept fading in and out of hers, and that Peter Hall wants her to work harder on it. She said "Peter isn't here this evening, he's in Cambridge watching his daughter in Virgina Woolf, so at least I won't have those notes for Monday. But..who am I kidding, his spys are everywhere, so I'm sure I'll hear about it."
When I asked her a question about the costumes and said "Dame Judi"...she said "Please...call me Judi".
Judi's dresser for the show, Kristy, came in and asked Judi if she needed anything. Judi asked her to get five champagne glasses. Two of Judi's close friends, a lovey couple, Penny and Gerald, were sitting on her bed. They were going to have dinner at 11:30pm. Judi told me that Kristy had been slow in getting her changed for two of tonights scenes and that she almost missed an entrance in the third act. She said Kristy works in tv, and of course, when you dress for tv, it's totally different, there is a lot of time to get ready. Judi said she's a sweet girl, but her timing has got to improve.
I told Judi the costumes were just spectacular, she said "Thank you ...but I didn't make them you know." I didn't say anything for a moment, I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. She howled one of those big throaty laughs of hers and said "I'm just kidding"
Her friend Penny told Judi - "You look good in a turban." Judi said she doesn't like the way she looks in hats. Penny said she could carry it off. Judi said that's because "it gives me an instant facelift!"
Judi said I was lucky to get in the stage door line early, because the Theatre Management has told all the cast that they are closing the stage door from now on at 10:30pm to save money. Judi rolled her eyes and said "Unbelievable, isn't it?"
Afer years of admiring Judi's talent, I told Judi how much I have enjoyed her work. She thanked me, and then proceeded to ask me about my family and my trips!
Now, I want you all to know that I truly believe Judi reads each and every letter personally. She asked me about my Dad, her twin. (Same birthday and year) and she wanted to know if my work has suffered a lot because of Sept 11. (She remembered I worked in travel.)
I did not ask Judi about a new season of ATGB...I thought I would leave that to [someone else]. But she did tell me that she's completed her scenes for Earnest and next week she is doing a recording of Angelina Ballerina with "Finty".
She did tell me she's supposed to start filming the new Bond film in late February, but is hasn't got a title and she hasn't seen the script yet. Her friend Gerald said "Jude, you could have the script for 6 months, and you still wouldn't know what it's about!" She picked up a makeup sponge from her dressing table, threw it at him and said "shut up!"
Helen and Judi talked about mutual friends that Helen has been recording with. While they chatted, I looked around Judi's dressing room. It's very open, white with a light yellow paint. It's decorated with floral patterns and jacquards. Very ornate white cornices and crown molding. Judi told me that Sir John had this dressing room when he was performing here during WWII. She said they recently refurbished it.
Judi's dressing room is filled with fresh flowers, family photos and yes - - she was wearing the rings! She had a little personal cd player with a stack of cd's.
After we drank champagne and Gerald gave a toast to Judi for a successful run, I said thank you for letting me come up here. She said..."Please stay for a bit longer. Our reservations aren't for another hour."
Yeah..like I was going to pass that up!
Judi, Helen, Penny, Gerald and I talked about a wide variety of things for about half an hour I had brought a gift for Sam Williams, Make Way for Ducklings..by Robert McCloskey .Judi thanked me and said "Fins will love it." She pointed to a 5 by 7 photo in the lower left of her dressing mirror and said "That's our Sam, there." He is precious!
There were some new professional headshots of Finty, and I have to say, she looked great. Judi said she just had them done.
Judi said she has some other projects in the works, but she seemed to be more interested in me than talking about herself. She has this way of looking right at you and making you feel special.
She is the most gracious and humble women, save for my mother, that I have ever met.