Judi Dench gets her own theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre, the largest independent theatre in the West End, is to be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre in honour of the actress’s “unparalleled contribution to British theatre and the performing arts”.
Dame Judi was a founding member of the Theatre of Comedy, a collective of actors and writers who had shares in the Shaftesbury and by producing comedies there kept the theatre open through the 80s and 90s.
Donald Taffner Junior, the theatre’s chairman whose company produced the TV comedy series As Time Goes By starring Dench, said: “Dame Judi has been a close friend of the DLT family for so long, particularly from her involvement with As Time Goes By, and we will always treasure the time she made in her busy schedule to make the programme. We have such fond memories of Judi at the Shaftesbury from the meetings for the Theatre of Comedy members to when her husband (the late Michael Williams) was performing in a number of the Theatre of Comedy productions. Aside from business, my parents would often talk about how much they enjoyed spending time with Judi and Michael in both New York and London. We are therefore delighted to recognise her extraordinary talent and extensive contribution to many in the renaming of our theatre.”
Dench said the Shaftesbury Theatre had always held a special place in her heart. “My relationship to the Theatre of Comedy and to the Taffner family goes back many years and to have this beautiful theatre renamed after me is truly overwhelming. Live theatre continues to be so important as a way of telling stories and entertaining audiences, something I have aimed to do all my working life.
Originally called the New Prince’s Theatre when it was built in 1911 it was the first steel frame theatre in the West End and is the only London theatre with a dome which opens. It is listed grade II. In 1962 the theatre was renamed after the original Shaftesbury Theatre nearby had been destroyed in the Blitz.