— Ch. 1 · York Roots And Quaker Faith —
Judi Dench.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Judi Dench was born in the Heworth area of York on the 9th of December 1934. Her father, Reginald Arthur Dench, practiced medicine there while her mother, Eleanora Olave Jones, served as wardrobe mistress at the York Theatre Royal. The couple met while studying at Trinity College Dublin before settling in England. During World War II rationing, Eleanora hosted actors and even took in seventeen cats from owners unable to feed their pets. This household became a hub for theatrical life long before Judi began performing professionally.
Dench attended the Mount School, an independent Quaker secondary school in York. She adopted the faith of her upbringing and later stated that it informed everything she did. Her brother Jeffery also became an actor, inspiring her own interest in drama after he attended the Central School of Speech and Drama. She applied to that same school, which was then based at the Royal Albert Hall in London. There she graduated with four acting prizes, including the Gold Medal as Outstanding Student. Her classmate Vanessa Redgrave would become one of the most famous actresses of their generation.
Stage Beginnings And Shakespeare
In September 1957, Dench made her first professional stage appearance with the Old Vic Company at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. She played Ophelia in Hamlet, though a reviewer for the London Evening Standard noted she had talent but needed more technique. She remained with the company for four seasons until 1961, playing roles like Katherine in Henry V during her New York City debut in 1958. The following year she appeared as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, both productions directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Her career expanded when she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in December 1961. She played Anya in The Cherry Orchard at the Aldwych Theatre in London before making her Stratford-upon-Avon debut in April 1962 as Isabella in Measure for Measure. Over the next two decades she spent seasons in repertory with the Playhouse in Nottingham and later with the Playhouse Company in Oxford. In 1968 she drew excellent reviews for her leading role of Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret at the Palace Theatre. Frank Marcus reviewing for Plays and Players commented that she sang well and projected the title song with great feeling.