Tea with the Ladies – Nothing Like a Dame (2018)

Directed by: Roger Michell | 82 minutes | documentary | Starring: Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith

Four very elderly ladies sip a cup of tea on a sunny afternoon in a typical English garden. They chatter, look back at their long lives and gossip about others. That doesn’t sound like a very exciting movie. But what if you realize that these are not just four old cherries, but four of the most renowned British actresses of the twentieth century. Women who were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, who had theaters named after them, and whose theaters have not been able to handle the enormous load of acting awards for years. Dame Maggie Smith (1934), Dame Judi Dench (1934), Dame Joan Plowright (1929) and Dame Eileen Atkins (1934)—for that illustrious company we are talking about—have been friends from the earliest years of their careers and meet annually at the estate where Plowright lived for years with Laurence OIivier, to catch up and celebrate their friendship. Normally there are no cameras, but for Roger Michell (known for the feature films ‘Notting Hill’, 1999 and ‘Venus’, 2006), they made an exception.

In the documentary ‘Tea with the Dames’ (2018) – originally titled ‘Nothing But A Dame’ – Smith, Dench, Plowright and Atkins look back on their impressive acting careers. With the exception of Plowright, who officially ended her career in 2014 after going blind, the women are still active. They reminisce about their early years in the theater, where they had their baptism of fire in plays by Shakespeare. Of course, the opponents are not left untouched either. Especially Plowright’s husband Olivier, with whom they all worked and who seemed rather intimidating to the ladies, is a rewarding topic of conversation. In addition to friendship, there is also the necessary competition between the actresses and here and there some teasing punches are handed out. For example, Dench would run off with all the good roles and she is the only one without a hearing aid. Smith has such a wonderfully comical diction and tone that you often doubt whether she is acting or being herself. There are plenty of jokes – for example about former husbands (all four women are now widows and all but Dench have tied the knot more than once) – but there is also a serious undertone.

Because whether they like it or not, the end of an era is in sight. All that looking back is fun, but it also underlines once again that fame, success, and life are fleeting. Smith, Dench, Plowright and Atkins are still widely respected and certainly the first two still have plenty of work to do. They laugh about it, but the melancholy is noticeable. Just like the loneliness. The sense of nostalgia is further underlined by short fragments of stage and film roles from the distant past. They confront the viewer with the mortality of these four greats. Because no matter how many awards, film prizes and honorary titles you have to your name, death will soon strike inexorably. And that realization is all too strong with these ladies. Perhaps that is why they cling to their profession, which has given them so much and which is an essential part of their identity.

The legendary actresses speak candidly about their careers, what they’ve encountered and what they find most difficult about their job in ‘Tea with the Dames’. That makes this documentary very interesting for students at the Theater Academy and anyone who can learn professionally from these acting giants. But this unique look behind the scenes is also very entertaining for the pure enthusiast. Because whether they’re acting, adding to their story or just being themselves, the women are aware of Michell’s camera and make good use of it. ‘Tea with the Dames’ is a unique look behind the scenes, into the lives of four special women who look back on their impressive careers with humor and nostalgia at the end of their lives.