Judi Dench’s Cheeky On-Set Antics: Garlic, Pranks and Punches

Judi Dench may be small in stature, but her reputation for mischief is anything but. While she’s celebrated as one of Britain’s finest actors, those who’ve worked alongside her know she’s just as likely to cause a stir backstage as she is to deliver a show-stopping performance. Her penchant for playful disruption is well-known among her peers, and few have escaped her antics unscathed.

Lesley Manville, for instance, once found herself the target of Dench’s on-stage tomfoolery. In the middle of a live performance, Dench’s outrageous behaviour left Manville so flustered she nearly lost control entirely. The incident, involving a particularly risqué bit of stage business, had Manville joking that Dench ought to be locked away for her troublemaking ways. Such episodes are hardly rare; Dench’s sense of humour often veers into the unexpected, whether she’s making a cheeky remark to a stranger or orchestrating elaborate pranks on her friends.

Friendship, Feuds and Fisticuffs

Her long-standing friendship with Michael Pennington is a case in point. The two have shared the stage in numerous productions since the 1970s, including The Way of the World, The Gift of the Gorgon, and Filumena. One might assume that years of camaraderie would spare Pennington from Dench’s more physical brand of humour, but he found out otherwise. After consuming a rather generous amount of garlic before a romantic scene, Pennington unwittingly crossed a line. Dench, never one to let such an offence slide, responded in her own inimitable style.

Reflecting on their relationship, Dench once told The Independent:

“When we have argued, I don’t think it’s ever been serious. I remember him telling me once that he had a mouse infestation and had set traps all over his house. I won’t have a trap in my house: I don’t like badgers being destroyed or maimed, and I feel the same about mice. So I wrote these anonymous letters to him saying, ‘Mouse Murderer!’”

Even by her standards, that was a relatively gentle prank. Things escalated, however, when Pennington’s garlic-fuelled breath became too much to bear.

When Garlic Meets Dame Judi

Dench has never shied away from a bit of chaos, especially when it comes to keeping her colleagues on their toes. She admitted that their friendship has always been about “having fun and being badly behaved,” though she claims Pennington is “not as uncontrolled as I can get.” Just how far does her mischief go? Dench recounted,

“Once, he ate a lot of garlic before a love scene. I think I punched him for that.”

It’s hardly the easiest task to feign intimacy with a close friend, let alone when they’ve overindulged in something as pungent as garlic. Yet, ever the consummate professional, Dench dealt with the situation in the most direct way possible. Her reputation for being a bit of a handful is well-earned, and anyone attempting to outdo her in the mischief stakes is likely to come off worse for wear.