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Judi Dench to be in Countryfile's Shakespeare special Judi Dench to be in Countryfile's Shakespeare special
(35 minutes later)
Dame Judi Dench is to appear in a Countryfile special honouring William Shakespeare.Dame Judi Dench is to appear in a Countryfile special honouring William Shakespeare.
The BBC1 show will be marking the 400th anniversary of the bard’s death with a programme on Sunday focusing on his love of the countryside.The BBC1 show will be marking the 400th anniversary of the bard’s death with a programme on Sunday focusing on his love of the countryside.
Dench will join presenter John Craven as they retrace the footsteps of The King’s Men – the acting troupe Shakespeare belonged to that toured the countryside performing his plays.Dench will join presenter John Craven as they retrace the footsteps of The King’s Men – the acting troupe Shakespeare belonged to that toured the countryside performing his plays.
Craven will meet Dench in a bluebell wood in Fordwich, Kent, to discuss her love of Shakespeare, his works, and how they resound with audiences today. The pair embark on a journey by foot and boat in an attempt to discover where Shakespeare may have performed. Craven will meet Dench in a bluebell wood in Fordwich, Kent to discuss her love of Shakespeare, his works, and how they resonate with audiences today. The pair embark on a journey by foot and boat in an attempt to discover where Shakespeare may have performed.
Having made her professional debut as Ophelia in Hamlet with the Old Vic Company in 1957, Dame Judi has also starred in Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.Having made her professional debut as Ophelia in Hamlet with the Old Vic Company in 1957, Dame Judi has also starred in Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.
She said: “I’m a huge fan of Countryfile. It was lovely to be part of it, and it was wonderful to learn that Shakespeare had toured with his company.”She said: “I’m a huge fan of Countryfile. It was lovely to be part of it, and it was wonderful to learn that Shakespeare had toured with his company.”
Craven said few things in his long career would top the experience of “standing in a 16th-century hall where Shakespeare’s touring company once played and doing a bit of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with Dame Judi Dench”.Craven said few things in his long career would top the experience of “standing in a 16th-century hall where Shakespeare’s touring company once played and doing a bit of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with Dame Judi Dench”.
He described the veteran actor as a “delightful companion” and said her “life-long passion for Shakespeare’s work really shone through”.He described the veteran actor as a “delightful companion” and said her “life-long passion for Shakespeare’s work really shone through”.
Leading Shakespeare academic Dr Siobhan Keenan, from De Montfort University, also joins them on their journey. Leading Shakespeare academic Dr Siobhan Keenan from De Montfort University will join them on their journey.
Also on the programme, Ellie Harrison tracks down the forest believed to have inspired As You Like It and Matt Baker searches for the secret cave in the Brecon Beacons rumoured to be the location for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Also in the programme, Ellie Harrison tracks down the forest believed to have inspired As You Like It and Matt Baker searches for the secret cave in the Brecon Beacons rumoured to be the location for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.