Judi Dench is to be the voice of the giant in the Giggleswick school production of Into the Woods. She delighted pupils at the North Yorkshire boarding school by agreeing to take a part in their school play. Pupils wrote asking her to take part with the cast of 90 schoolchildren.

She is patron of the Richard Whiteley Theatre that opened about 18 months ago, set up with money left by Whiteley to the school in his will. The late Countdown presenter, who was a pupil at the school, died in 2005 aged 61.

The pupils chose to ask York-born Dame Judi because she had already featured as the voice of the giant in the London Regent’s Park open-air production of the Stephen Sondheim musical. As the giant is not seen onstage during the play, Dench’s voice will be recorded.

via BBC News