Shropshire Star

Acting legend Dame Judi Dench is coming to Ludlow Fringe Festival next year

Tickets will soon go on sale for an opportunity to see British acting institution Dame Judi Dench, as she makes the trip to Shropshire.

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The eight-time Oscar-nominated actress, known in recent years for her roles in the James Bond series, Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, will be coming to the Ludlow Fringe Festival next year.

Dame Judi will be at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms during the event, where she will lead a talk about her enduring love for Shakespeare in a career spanning 65 years.

Anita Bigsby, Fringe organiser said: “It is such an honour to think that Judi would come to Ludlow for our festival, and it is a wonderful opportunity for our audiences to experience this unique event.

"The Ludlow Assembly Rooms is a small and intimate venue with just 280 seats so everyone who manages to get a ticket will definitely go away feeling very, very special.”

In an intimate conversation with actor, director and friend Brendan O’Hea, audiences are invited to learn about her rehearsal process, as well as her triumphs, disasters and backstage shenanigans.

After making her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company, Dame Judi Dench has played several Shakespearean roles, including Ophelia in Hamlet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.

At her talk, Dame Judi will also include accounts of her creative partnerships with big names in theatre, such as Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Ian McKellen and Kenneth Branagh.

Ludlow Fringe runs from Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, July 2.

Dame Judi will be at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms at 11am on Thursday, June 29.

Tickets are limited for this event and organisers say it will be popular.

To increase your chance to purchase a ticket, the Fringe recommends that you sign-up for their newsletter on their website ludlowfringe.co.uk, which will give advance warning of when tickets are about to go on sale.

The Fringe also has a ‘Friends Scheme’, where from as little as £25, you can support Ludlow Fringe and pick up “perks”, including early-bird tickets and 10 per cent off all ticket purchases for the year.