DAME Judi Dench's return to the Royal Shakespeare Company in All's Well That Ends Well premieres at the Swan Theatre, Stratford, from Wednesday to February 7 before transferring to the West End.

RSC associate director Gregory Doran will direct what will be the first production of the play for the company since 1992.

Doran says of the play: "All's Well That Ends Well is the most bittersweet of all Shakespeare's plays. It explores the same territory as the Sonnets, and is perhaps his most intensely personal play, with characters and obsessions compounded both from his imagination and from life making it closely autobiographical.

"All may end well, the characters in the story may all live happily ever after, but life is not a fairy tale, it's messy. In All's Well, Shakespeare recognises that messiness and attempts to make sense of it."

Dame Judi marks her return to the RSC in Stratford playing the Countess of Rousillon which will also mark her debut performance on the Swan stage. She last appeared in Stratford in 1979 as Imogen in Cymbeline. It will also be the first time she has played this role.

Her long and distinguished career has resulted in numerous awards including an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love and several BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

Claudie Blakley makes her RSC debut in the role of Helena, and other leading players include Guy Henry as Parolles, Jamie Glover (Bertram), and Gary Waldhorn (King of France).

The production transfers to the Gielgud theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in London from February 18 to April 24.

Booking for Swan performances by telephone on 0870 609 1110 or online www.rsc.org.uk.