Dame Judi Dench treated guests to an impromptu Hogmanay performance of Abba’s Waterloo at a hotel in Scotland just moments before the clock struck midnight.
The Oscar-winning actor accompanied Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri during the surprise musical rendition at the Fife Arms in Braemar, Aberdeenshire.
While Spiteri sang the bulk of the classic Abba number, Dench, 88, played along with the hotel’s pianola and chipped in with the odd bar of backing vocals.
Spiteri, who shared a piano stool with Dench during the song, exclaimed: “What a pianist!”
Dench and Spiteri, 55, were guests at the five-star hotel, where Hogmanay celebrations included a dinner and a ceilidh. However, shortly before ringing in the new year with fireworks, the stars decided to contribute to the entertainment.
This unlikely gig was captured on video by Ewan Venters, CEO of Artfarm, which owns the Fife Arms. It was posted on social media and has since been watched thousands of times.
Venters told BBC Scotland that the crowd were bowled over by the performance and their reaction had been “joyful”.
“Judi Dench and Sharleen Spiteri were staying at the hotel and we had an impromptu moment at the piano,” he said. “It was a happy evening with lots of guests and locals clapping.”
He said the pair burst into song just before the midnight fireworks. “It was a classic Scottish Hogmanay party at the Fife Arms,” he said. “The hotel was fully sold out, with a four-course dinner and a ceilidh with lots of reeling.”
Dench made her acting debut in 1957 at the Old Vic and established herself as one of the most significant British actors before rising to international fame with blockbuster film roles, including as M in the James Bond series. She won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love and has been nominated a further seven times, including for her portrayal of a grieving Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown, much of which was set at Balmoral, just 15 minutes from the Fife Arms.
Spiteri has sold more than 40m records as frontwoman of Texas, who came to prominence in the late 80s with their album Southside.
Venters later told the PA news agency: “[Dench and Spiteri] had met previously but after dinner they met in the lobby and took to the piano. Guests were somewhat shocked but loved it!
“Two legends – a Scottish musician, Sharleen Spiteri – and Dame Judi who, although born in the city of York, is an honorary Scot, for not least playing Queen Victoria on so many occasions.
“Mrs Brown was back on Royal Deeside!”
