Publisher's Synopsis
A collection of classic, early performances from Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench. 'Talking to a Stranger' (1966): A quartet of plays by John Hopkins that look at the same weekend through the eyes of four different people. 'Make and Break' (1987) is Michael Frayn's adaptation of his own play stars Robert Hardy and Dench. Hardy is the boss of a building components firm who is so devoured by his work that he is blind to his devoted secretary's adoration. But at a trade fair in Frankfurt, events take some unexpected turns. 'Absolute Hell' (1991) is a production of Rodney Ackland's once scandalous black comedy about the alcoholic, nymphomaniac owner of a Soho drinking club in bomb-blasted London in the weeks leading up to the 1945 election. In 'Can You Hear Me Thinking?' (1990) distinguished husband and wife, Michael Williams and Dench, play another married couple in this BAFTA winning tale of a family whose lives are shattered when their 16-year-old son develops schizophrenia. At first, he turns violent and has to be hospitalized. When he is released, the full implications of his illness strike home. 'The Cherry Orchard' (1981), Anton Chekhov's last play, is a comedy full of foreboding. Sensing that revolution was about to privileged and protected ways of life he wrote with sympathy for these people but also excitement for the future. 'Ghosts' (1987) is Ibsen's powerful drama exploring the suppression of disturbing truths and tragic effects of hypocrisy. Finally, 'Going Gently' (1981) is a play based on a group of terminally ill patients on a cancer ward.
