Judi Dench to have London’s Shaftesbury theatre renamed after her

Dame Judi Dench is to have a West End theatre renamed after her, becoming only the second non-royal woman to be honoured in such a way. The Shaftesbury theatre will be known as the Judi Dench theatre from February 2027 in celebration of the actor’s “unparalleled contribution to British theatre and the performing arts”. The theatre said Dench was “one of the greatest actors of our time” and that the name change would “ensure Dame Judi’s legacy continues to inspire future generations of performers and audiences alike”. Dench has a long association with the Shaftesbury, which is one of the largest independent theatre in London and is the only West End location with a dome that opens. She was part of Ray Cooney’s Theatre of Comedy Company, which had part-shares in the Shaftesbury. Don Taffner of DLT Entertainment, which produced the sitcom As Time Goes By, which Dench starred in, also bought shares in the theatre. Dench said: “The Shaftesbury theatre has always held a special place in my heart. My relationship to the Theatre of Comedy and to the Taffner family goes back many years, and to have this beautiful theatre renamed after me is truly overwhelming. “Live theatre continues to be so important as a way of telling stories and entertaining audiences, something I have aimed to do all my working life.” The Shaftesbury theatre was originally called New Princes theatre, but its name was changed in 1962 to honour the original Shaftesbury theatre, which was destroyed in the Blitz. …