Dench takes stage to screen

Judi Dench is considering treading the boards again - but this time it will be on the big screen. The Oscarwinning star is considering an offer to portray a woman whose name, in the Thirties and early Forties, was a byword for the West End.

Laura Henderson owned the Windmill Theatre in London, which became famous during World War II as the theatre that never closed.

She was once described as a 'sedate, little old lady' who'd had a puritanical upbringing, yet at the age of 70 she started producing saucy revue shows at the Windmill with her astute general manager, Vivian Van Damm.

The film, Mrs Henderson Presents, is very much at the planning stage, but it's based on a script by Martin Sherman and will be executiveproduced by Norma Heyman and the actor Bob Hoskins, who will also portray Mr Van Damm.

BBC Films is involved and they hope to persuade Stephen Frears to direct the movie during the summer. Meanwhile, Judi continues to enjoy her sell-out run at the Gielgud Theatre, London, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of All's Well That Ends Well.