Like most Yanks my first exposure to Dame Dench's brilliance was through old sitcoms on the public station.
I was able to catch a performance of David Hare's The Breath of Life with both her and Dame Maggie Smith. A highlight in anyone's life!
Her performance in Note On A Scandal, along with the exemplary cast was phenomenal. However I was sharply reminded of The Killing Of Sister George. In some ways this was a disappointing throw back to old dark times of the caricature of the predatory lesbian. This needs to be said. It takes nothing away from her performance and a deserved nomination for an Oscar.