First, to the Danish national archives, where it was confirmed that Anders was one of 25 noblemen who accompanied the king on a diplomatic mission to England in 1606. “Well, they must have gone to the theatre, mustn’t they?” asked Dench. And it so happened that 1606 was a big year for one William Shakespeare, including the debut performance of King Lear.
Was the Bard in London at exactly this time? Contemporaneous accounts of the Danish visit find echoes in his plays, various historians claimed. The description of a barge being rowed up the Thames during a water pageant? There is a similar barge in Anthony and Cleopatra. “It is possible that Anders Bille was standing on the deck of the inspiration for one of Shakespeare’s most brilliant plays,” said Northern Irish historian Gareth Russell (who, incidentally, I have seen give talks on James I, and is such an engaging storyteller that he deserves a bigger TV career). Possible? That’s good enough for this programme.
“Judi, whether or not Shakespeare would have been here – and it’s a ‘might’ – I would be very, very surprised if, at some point in 1606, Anders Bille and William Shakespeare were not in the same room together,” said Russell.
During the final stage of their mission, the Danish party moved on to Hampton Court Palace, where records show that they were entertained by Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men. “In all probability, Shakespeare was here,” said historian Ewan Fernie. And a beat later: “He would have been here. It’s an astonishing thing.” Dench was moved to tears, calling it “breathtaking stuff”. By now, I too could conjure this historic encounter in my imagination. And even if they didn’t actually meet, the fact that the two men were in each other’s orbit is still a pretty marvellous coincidence for an actress whose devotion to Shakespeare is so total.
The Hampton Court news made the actress so happy, although there was a note of melancholy as she wished that her late husband, Michael Williams, were here to share it. Overall, though, it was a documentary infused with joy. At 90, Dench’s eyesight is failing – she can now no longer make out faces, or see the floor – but her light is undimmed.
Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me is on Channel 4 and Channel4.com on Saturday, December 27, at 9pm
