Dame Judi Dench hospitalized after a fall, pays tribute to Natasha Richardson

Wenn.com/IMDB News reports that Dame Judi Dench has been forced to temporarily pull out of a new London play after badly spraining her ankle in a fall outside the theater on Thursday.

The Casino Royale star, 74, was exiting the Wyndham theater, where she is starring in new play Madame De Sade, when she tripped over a stage door and had to be taken to the hospital.
She is now nursing an injured ankle and has been ordered to rest up and allow it to heal - but she is determined to be back at work next week.

Her spokesperson says, "As Judi Dench was leaving the theater, she tripped at the stage door and fell. She was taken to Accident and Emergency, where she was diagnosed with a severely sprained ankle.

"Doctors have advised that she bring no weight to bear on her foot for the time being. As a consequence, Judi's role of Madame de Montreuil will be performed this weekend by her understudy Marjorie Hayward.

"The Donmar theatre company and Judi apologize for any upset or inconvenience this may cause, and wish to reassure those with tickets that it is her intention to return to the role next week."

Dench's injury comes just one week after the play debuted in the West End.

Speaking of Judi Dench...

She paid a tribute to her friend Vanessa Redgrave's daughter, actress Natasha Richardson, after hearing Natasha's tragic death 2 days ago following a ski accident while on vacation in Canada.


Dame Judi Dench pays tribute to Natasha Richardson

Dame Judi Dench, a drama student with Natasha Richardson's mum Vanessa Redgrave, yesterday paid her heartfelt tribute to her friend's daughter.


The 74-year-old acting legend, who worked with Natasha on the 1987 TV series Ghosts, said:

"She had an incredibly luminous quality you seldom see and a great sense of humour.

"I thought that she was a really great actress.

"She was very like Vanessa when she was young but also had entirely her own qualities.

"She loved theatre. I don't know if she got to like film as much as the theatre but she shone in both fields."

Asked if Natasha would have had more great work to come, Dame Judi replied: "I have no doubt about it.

"It's just so shocking, really shocking, and I hope that everybody leaves the family quietly so they can somehow begin to pick up the pieces."

Natasha Richardson: 1963-2009

RIP Natasha Richardson! :(