Judi Dench
“Bond” star criticizes trigger warnings in the theater
No desire for trigger warnings: Judi Dench.
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“If you’re sensitive: Don’t go!” “Bond” star Judi Dench speaks out clearly against the display of trigger warnings.
Following earlier comments from her colleagues Ralph Fiennes (61) and Matt Smith (41), “Bond” star Dame Judi Dench (89) has now also intervened in the public debate about trigger warnings in the theater. In one In an interview with the British program magazine “Radio Times”, the Oscar winner clearly speaks out against the warnings that are shown to the audience before the start of a play and warn of particularly violent and potentially psychologically stressful scenes.
“My goodness, are they really doing this now?”
In the interview with the Radio Times, Dench was asked for her opinion on the content notes that are shown before the play begins in many theaters around the world – including in Germany. The renowned stage actress was extremely surprised by the now common practice of displaying so-called trigger warnings: “Do they do that? My God, that must be a pretty long warning about ‘King Lear’ or ‘Titus Andronicus’,” she said and added: “My goodness, is this really happening?” Dench, whose stage career has spanned more than five decades, is also one of Britain’s best-known theater actresses. She has received numerous awards for her work for the National Theater Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company, including a Tony Award and seven Olivier Awards.
“If you’re so sensitive – don’t go!”
Dench can understand why the warnings exist at all. At the same time, they contradict their understanding of the purpose of going to the theater: “Where is the surprise and your own way of seeing and understanding the content? Why should you go to the theater if you are warned about things that occur in the play? It’s possible Isn’t going to the theater about seeing something that excites, surprises or stimulates you? It’s like telling me before the performance of ‘King Lear’ that everyone is dead at the end. I don’t want to hear that .” In Shakespeare’s play, “King Lear” passes control of his kingdom to three daughters. As the play progresses, all sorts of intrigues arise. The king, who has now gone insane, dies – as do most of the other characters.
Fiennes: Audience should be “shocked” and “disturbed.”
With her contribution, Dench joins a debate that, among others, “Bond” colleague Ralph Fiennes initiated at the beginning of the year. Fiennes advocated for it at the timeto completely abolish warnings before stage performances. He claimed that today’s audiences have become “soft”. According to Fiennes, warnings should still be given about special lighting effects such as the use of strobes. At the same time, he argued that people should be “shocked” and “disturbed” by theater. “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things. When I was young, we never had warning labels for shows,” said Fiennes. “Doctor Who” star Smith also agreed with Fiennes at the time. “That’s why we go to the theater, right? To be shocked, to be taken out of ourselves, to recognize ourselves in front of and with an audience,” Smith said.