Each of the four dames has at some point worked at least once with any of the other three, but never have all four of them appeared together in the same project.
Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith are all born in 1934, with Joan Plowright five years older, born in 1929.
At one point, director Roger Michell can be heard off screen asking the four women to talk about getting old, with Judi Dench responding in a humorous tone, "F*** off, Roger".
Despite the American release title "Tea With the Dames", the dames are never actually seen drinking tea, with the exception of Eileen Atkins having a tea cup in front of her in one segment, and Judi Dench being offered a coffee mug of some beverage in another segment. "Tea" is slang for "gossip shared between friends" in countries where they don't drink tea properly.
The four Dames have enjoyed varying success at the Academy Awards. Judi Dench has received seven nominations, Maggie Smith six nominations, Joan Plowright just one, and Eileen Atkins was never nominated. But the biggest winner is Maggie Smith for being awarded two Oscars: a Best Actress for Les belles années de Miss Brodie (1969), and a Best Supporting Actress for California Hôtel (1978); while a Best Supporting role on Shakespeare in Love (1998) gave Judi Dench her only Oscar.