Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Danielle Desouza

Video shows Dame Judi Dench treating hotel guests to performance of Abba’s Waterloo on New Year’s Eve

Guests at a Scottish hotel were treated to a musical performance by Hollywood star Dame Judi Dench and singer Sharleen Spiteri (PA) (Picture: PA Wire)

Guests spending New Year’s Eve at a Scottish hotel were treated to a surprise musical performance by Hollywood star Dame Judi Dench and singer Sharleen Spiteri.

A video, which was posted to Twitter and has amassed around 250,000 views, shows the pair sharing a stool, as Dame Judi appeared to play Abba’s hit Waterloo on the piano.

Ms Spiteri - lead singer of rock band Texas - belts out the song, while Dame Judi also chimes in.

When the rendition is over, Ms Spiteri can be heard exclaiming “What a pianist!”

The performance took place at The Fife Arms in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on Saturday just before midnight fireworks welcomed in 2023.

Whether or not the actress actually played the piano was open to speculation, as many Twitter users were quick to point out the instrument appeared to be playing automatically.

One tweeter wrote: “Did no one else notice that this was a self-playing piano? The keys are moving by themselves and Dame Judy is acting wonderfully well! (Sorry to spoil the party atmos)”.

Another said: “Look at the keys, she’s not actually playing.”

But despite this, Ewan Venters, chief executive officer of Artfarm, which owns The Fife Arms, told BBC Scotland the rendition brought happiness to those present.

“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.”

Other Twitter users described the clip as “delightful”, with one calling Dame Judi and Ms Spiteri “two absolute legends”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.