Haughty, yet bawdy

JUDI DENCH may be one of the jewels in England’s acting crown, but she’s down-to-earth and funny. Never, ever call her “Dame Judi.” Just plain “Judi” is fine with her.

A striking 71, Dench seems to be a force of nature. In less than a decade, she’s racked up four Oscar nominations -- she won best supporting actress for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love” for her eight-minute turn as Queen Elizabeth -- and won the Tony Award six years ago for David Hare’s drama “Amy’s View.”

She has also been M, the formidable boss of James Bond, in

the blockbuster action-thrillers that starred Pierce Brosnan as 007.

Dench currently can be seen as the curmudgeonly snob Lady Catherine de Bourg in “Pride & Prejudice” and as theater operator Laura Henderson in “Mrs. Henderson Presents,” a historical drama based in fact, which opened Friday.

In the Stephen Frears-directed “Mrs. Henderson,” Dench plays the wealthy widow who in the late 1930s bought an old London theater named the Windmill. Knowing nothing about music halls, Henderson hired a colorful character named Vivian Van Dam (Bob Hoskins) to operate it. Their Windmill was successful, but it flagged when other London theaters followed its lead. So Mrs. Henderson decided to turn it into a nude revue. During World War II, it became the only theater in London that never closed -- even during bombing raids. It inspired a Hollywood movie in 1945 called “Tonight and Every Night,” starring Rita Hayworth. In that version, though, all the chorus girls kept their clothes on.

Are you appearing in the new James Bond film “Casino Royale”?

Yes. We start in February.

Have you worked before with Daniel Craig, the next James Bond?

No, but I worked with [director] Martin Campbell. He did the first Bond I was in with Pierce, “GoldenEye,” so that’s going to be new and exciting. I think he [Craig] is [an interesting choice]. How wonderful for him.... It’s a tremendous responsibility.

Do you like the chance to play more frivolous roles like M?

I love it. It’s great fun. It has a huge audience for young men from about 12 to 14.

So you get a lot of boys approaching you?

Yes. That’s the only thing they know me from. They say, “Are you M?” Or “Will you sign a photograph for me?” Or “Are you in ‘James Bond’?” It’s thrilling for me to say yes.

You have both “Mrs. Henderson” and “Pride & Prejudice” out for the holidays.

I haven’t been able to see “Pride & Prejudice” yet.

The film has a different ending here than in England, where it ends with Elizabeth getting permission to marry Darcy.

It ends romantically [here], doesn’t it?

Yes. You need to see Elizabeth and Darcy have a final kiss.

No, you don’t. I remember my husband [the late actor Michael Williams] saying to me that wearing a high-neck dress at the front with no back is much sexier than wearing a low-neck in front. I think it’s a pity to have the T’s crossed and the I’s dotted.

The best word to describe Lady Catherine in “Pride & Prejudice” is “scary.”

She is scary. She is a very aristocratic lady with a great deal of money who was very aware of the class system. She is a monster.

I was surprised watching “Mrs. Henderson” that the Windmill Theater featured nudity.

Oh, yes, that was the thing we all knew about it [in England] -- the very risque show that people went to. It got to be very fashionable. It was very beautifully done, not sleazy. But very daring.

Several of the performers from the Windmill are still alive. Did you get the opportunity to chat with them?

Oh, yes. They are in their 90s. They are absolutely beautiful -- each one of them. They are really glamorous. I asked them about [Mrs. Henderson]. She treated them all like daughters, really. She paid for weddings and treats for them and clothes and food. They just became a family.

Were you able to discover if Mrs. Henderson and Vivian Van Dam had a love affair?

I asked the girls about their relationship. They were circumspect. I don’t think anybody ever knew if there was any more between them. [Writer] Martin Sherman so brilliantly left that up in the air, so you don’t know. I think that’s really good.

Had you worked with Stephen Frears before?

Twice before. He is adorable, Stephen. He pretends he doesn’t know what to do with a scene, but in actual fact he does. You kind of feel if you are on this ship and it’s going through very, very stormy water, you would be all right with Stephen.

Did you live in London during the blitz?

No, we were in Yorkshire. I was just 6 when the war broke out.

Were you ever bombed?

We used to have lots of sirens and things. I remember the bombs actually hitting one night.

Does the Windmill still exist?

It’s a lap-dancing joint now. I am not so sure if Laura Henderson wouldn’t have quite liked that. She might have suggested it!