tea with judi dench

1 x 60 for Sky Arts

National treasure Judi Dench invites her great friend of more than forty years, Kenneth Branagh, for tea at her Surrey home.

Both Oscar winners, Judi has over the years played Ken’s grandmother, mother and wife.  Ken has also been her director and, what some might not know, Judi has directed him too.

Over potato cakes (a nod to their shared Irish roots), they swap star-studded stories and tales from the dressing room, sharing their views on critics, Shakespeare, the movies they’ve taken part in, and what the actor’s life is really like.

From Judi’s first role as Ophelia and the terrible reviews that followed, to Ken’s dodgy Welsh accent in Henry V, this is a funny, revealing and ultimately moving portrait of a long and remarkable relationship and two stellar careers.

As they laugh and reminisce about leaving home for drama school, how Shakespeare’s words have often come to their rescue (“it’s the beating of your heart,” says Judi), Hollywood success, and the loss of famous friends, what emerges is a conversation about craft, friendship and why, after all these years, they still love what they do. 

Watch Tea with Judi Dench on Sky Arts here.