I know I don’t usually start with a date, but this is going live as the first blog of April, when in fact it was scribbled in March. Does that matter? Actually, to me it does. You see, it was my only blog for March, purely due to overcrowding in the creative part of my brain. I’m always a little cluttered up there, but every so often the grey matter fills beyond maximum capacity and I can’t find space for anything. So my thought is this – if I only write one blog for March, at least it will be a comment on something (or someone!) worthwhile.

So I drafted it the old fashioned way last night, with pen and notebook, on the return train journey from a day trip in the big bad smokes. Mum and I went down to London to listen to someone we have always admired. It wasn’t a lecture or an educational talk of any kind. It was simply a sharing of experiences of life as a performer.

Let me give you a few clues to begin with…

She is one of the true RSC greats. She is, what my grandma would have described as star of stage and screen. She is a Dame, and she truly deserves the title. She has a catalogue of awards which is longer than the number of years I have been alive. Her nominations list is in the hundreds. She proves that you don’t need a leading role to make an impression or an impact. Oh, and she is my mum’s namesake.

That’s right. The lady we went to London for? None other than the magnificent Dame Judi Dench.

So how? Why? What can I tell you about her? Let’s get started, shall we?

The how is easy. As a member of The Actor’s Centre, I receive emails and priority booking opportunities for all their affiliated events. Needless to say, when this email landed in my inbox, I only needed a fraction of a second to consider my decision.

Why is also fairly straightforward. Aside from the fact that Judi Dench is simply stunning to watch in any role she plays, she made an enormous impression on me for something far less public almost two decades ago. When I was in the sixth form and preparing for my A’Level Theatre Studies practical assessment, I was faced with a tricky research task. Having selected a piece from Pielmeier’s Agnes of G-d I needed to explore madness in all its forms. Who better to ask for advice on how to approach mental instability with sensitivity and conviction than someone who’s first role was Ophelia? In the pre-internet era, when snail mail was the way to make a connection with someone you didn’t know, I wrote her a letter. I’m not sure if I expected a response. But you can imagine my delight when I got one.

Ever since then, she has become something of an icon to me; epitomising the stars of her age. Like so many of her amazing contemporaries, she is famous for what she does. There is nothing of the nonsensical notion of celebrity as we have come to know it. As silly as it may sound, the fact that she had time to write a letter of reply to a curious student, was verification of her own passion for Theatre.

So that brings us to what I can share with you from this event. I will have to be very selective here, or this blog will turn into an epic to rival her 1984 lead in Brecht’s Mother Courage – a play even she describes as ‘Long. Very, very long.’

She is every bit as likeable as you would imagine. There are no airs, graces or pretensions of any kind as she walks out onstage, tripping on the top step then smiling and shaking her head at herself. She appears genuinely shocked at the standing ovation she receives before she has even opened her mouth, and immediately gestures to the audience to sit down. She sits, one leg tucked beneath her, and chats to Paul Clayton her interviewer as if he were an old friend. It turns out he is. The notable thing, then, becomes the warmth with which she draws us into this friendly chat.

Of course, the anecdotes about her work were incredibly entertaining. If you haven’t read her books, and you would like to know how and why a black glove has travelled the world with Judi, or why she doesn’t read scripts before choosing parts, or even how she once appeared in Les Mis and All’s Well in the West End simultaneously, then I would urge you to read them. Because I won’t retell those anywhere near as well as she can.

Instead I want to tell you about the thing that resonated with me the most. She began by expressing her outrage at the industry us youngsters have to contend with. For those of us not blessed with Judi’s high profile or impressive resume, the reality of the industry means if we are lucky enough to be called for an audition, we will be likely to turn up, give our all, and then never hear a word of feedback. Invariably, our agents will end up chasing a Casting Director to confirm that we haven’t been successful on this occasion. Most of us working in the business (or at least trying to) have learned the requisite length of time following an audition to wait, before abandoning all hopes of booking that job. With an actor daughter in her early forties, who struggles with the industry at times, Judi speaks with her finger on the pulse for the everyman. She was genuinely appalled at how discourteous it is, not even to write a letter to reward our efforts. I have to admit, there was something strangely satisfying about hearing Dame Judi Dench on her soapbox in support of the jobbing ones among us.

Judi Dench is inspiring and down to earth. She is incredibly passionate about the Arts in all its forms, and is appreciative of all the experiences she has had. She fits the title given to her by so many of National Treasure. There is always a risk that seeing someone in the flesh can shatter any illusions. Not in this case. I remain as in awe as I have always been.

Her parting words spoke loudest of all to the realistic dreamer in every one of us. ‘If you really, really want to do it, try not to be disheartened by all the s#*t that goes with it. Try always to stay positive. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason. If there is anything else at all you think you could be tempted by, do that instead. But if you must do it, learn something from everyone you meet. And try not – really try hard – not to be disheartened!’