Drug Misuse and Community Pharmacy

When the film Mrs Brown (originally, modestly, destined for television) hit the big cinema screens, Judi Dench became, overnight, an International Movie Star. It won her a Golden Globe, BAFTA 'Best Actress' Award, an Oscar nomination. But in Britain Judi had already been a theatrical star for decades, playing Shakespearean heroines from a 'Dream' fairy to Lady Macbeth, Juliet to Cleopatra - and not only on stage in the classics, but in television comedy too (A Fine Romance, with real-life husband Michael Williams; As Time Goes By, with Geoffrey Palmer...). This sparkling biography covers it all in immense, but never tedious, detail. Although the overall effect is of sun-and-starshine all the way, there have been dark moments. When Judi left drama school, trailing clouds of glory, the prestigious Old Vic theatre company snapped her up, catapulting her into the demanding role of Hamlet's Ophelia. The critics slaughtered her. She was smartly withdrawn from the role. A terrible start; but even then Judi had a stainless-steel backbone. She learned from the experience. She's been learning ever since, and is now recognized as the finest English actress of her generation. The book isn't only about Judi. It has a cast of thousands. She must have more colleagues and friends than she can count. She has a singular gift for uniting the cast of a play or film into a harmonious 'family'. Her spontaneous kindness and thoughtfulness are legendary. Men have fallen in love with her in droves, but her home life with Michael and daughter Finty is unshakeable. Too good to be true? No - it's all true! A book to raise the spirits; celebratory but never sycophantic, well written, hugely entertaining: packed with theatrical anecdotes. (Kirkus UK)