Judi Dench, Steve Coogan: Critics Agree, 'Philomena' Is A "Serious" Comedy That Needs To Be Seen

CONTACT MUSIC
by Joe Wilde | 01 November 2013

The Judi Dench and Steve Coogan-starrer is being roundly praised as a wonderful piece of British cinema
Philomena stars Judi Dench as Philomena Lee in the movie adaptation of Martin Sixsmith's 2009 novel The Lost Children of Philomena Lee. Co-starring Steve Coogan as Sixsmith, the film is an emotionally moving and shocking true story that follows Sixsmith's journey to help find Philomena's lost children. Handled masterfully by The Queen director Stephen Frears, the film has been universally praised for its sensitive tone and lighthearted comic relief, with the performances from the two stars also being singled out for wide praise.

Having just been sacked from his job as a government spin doctor, Sixsmith is sent by his editor to do a "human interest story," an idea he at first resents, until he comes across the elderly Philomena Lee. We and Sixsmith soon discover that Lee was sent to a Catholic home for unmarried mothers in the 1950's, where she gave birth to her son, who she was forced to give up for adoption by the zealous nuns running the home.

Fifty years of searching for her son has culminated in no success, until Martin ends up taking her to America to find the truth about her son, in what is a heart wrenching story celebrating the lengths of human love, loss and life.

Read our review of Philomena

"A terrific, sophisticated comedy that tackles serious issues with a lightness of touch and a spirit of steel, Philomena is the British film to beat come BAFTA time," said Empire critic Damon Wise. The film is also praised as being like a "definition of good British cinema" by Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times and although the interest in the film is largely seeded in the British Isles, the film has garnered healthy appraisal from film buffs across the pond too.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.contactmusic.com/round-up/philomena-review-round-up-judi-dench_3931963

Becks cuddles ‘The Queen’: David Beckham poses with Helen Mirren (THE SUN) By FRAN WETZEL Published: 2 hrs ago

IT seems even Helen Mirren can’t resist the charm of David Beckham – cuddling up to the footie legend at a birthday party for the Queen.

The actress, 68, got close to the former England ace as they posed for photos at the bash held in honour of Her Majesty in Shanghai, China.

The pair had previously met an awards ceremony in 2007. And it seemed they are old pals, chatting away happily at a reception afterwards.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/4977078/Becks-poses-with-Helen-Mirren.html#ixzz2WlOYu7hI

Dame Helen Mirren grants dying fan's wish (MSN)

The actress reached out to 10-year-old schoolboy Oliver Burton, who is battling cancer in his spine and may have just weeks to live, after learning he was unable to meet the real Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Dame Helen then stepped in to help make Burton's dream come true - she treated him to a limousine ride to see her London play The Audience, in which she portrays the monarch, and met him in character backstage at the Gielgud Theater after the show.

The star, who introduced Burton to her corgi dog co-star and even pretended to knight him during the visit, tells The Sun on Sunday, "It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet such a brave young man."

READ MORE: http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/celebs/dame-helen-mirren-grants-dying-fans-wish-1

Helen Mirren:(VIDEO) 'They were very sweet and stopped the minute they knew I wasn’t just a batty old woman': Queen Helen on the moment she stormed off stage to confront a noisy drumming troupe (Mail On LIne)

By ALASDAIR GLENNIE and EMILY ALLEN

PUBLISHED: 17:11 EST, 5 May 2013 | UPDATED: 10:56 EST, 6 May 2013

 Reports of her exact words differ, but it is clear the 67-year-old was, like Queen Victoria, not amused.  Some said she told the group to ‘shut the **** up’.

One is not amused: Helen Mirren as The Queen in play The Audience

Others said she ‘stomped out and shrieked “Quiet! I’m trying to do a play in here!” ’

Dame Helen is playing the Queen in The Audience, a play about the monarch’s private weekly meetings with various prime ministers at Buckingham Palace.

Last week the role earned her an Olivier award for best actress. 

The play’s writer Peter Morgan also scripted the 2006 film The Queen, for which Dame Helen won an Oscar.

Saturday night’s West End performance of the play was disturbed by the sound of drums five minutes before the interval.

A troupe of performers marched past the theatre in a parade designed to promote As One In The Park, a festival for gay and transgender people due to take place in East London this month.

Followed by a crowd of around 200, the musicians and dancers stopped outside a bar to perform a drum crescendo – unaware they were drowning out Dame Helen’s lines.

Now Dame Helen has revealed she would like to invite the performers to see her play. 

Audience member Ben Scotchbrook told the Daily Mail that the actress finished the first half without letting the noise affect her performance. 

When the second half was interrupted by a lighting blackout, she went on stage and revealed she had dealt with the source of the noise.

‘She was a real pro, she saved the day,’ said Mr Scotchbrook, a 43-year-old communications consultant from Buckinghamshire.

‘The noise was really irritating, but she didn’t get ruffled on stage.

‘In the interval I went out and tried to ask the drummers to move on, to no effect. I don’t think they realised they could be heard inside the theatre.

READ MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2319974/They-sweet-stopped-minute-knew-I-wasn-t-just-batty-old-woman-Queen-Helen-moment-stormed-stage-confront-noisy-drumming-troupe.html

Helen Mirren storms out of theatre dressed as the Queen to rebuke noisy drummers (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

Silence for the queen, please.

A troupe of street drummers got a shock when Helen Mirren, dressed as the Queen, emerged from a London theatre to berate them for disrupting her show.

Mirren is starring in The Audience, a drama about the weekly meetings between the queen and Britain’s prime ministers over her 60-year reign.

Mirren told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that she used less-than-royal language in the rant during the intermission of Saturday’s performance.

“I’m afraid there were a few ‘thespian’ words used,” Mirren was quoted as saying Monday. “They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately.

“I felt rotten, but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done.”

The drummers were marching through London’s West End to promote As One in the Park, a gay music festival being held later this month.


READ MORE: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/helen-mirren-storms-out-of-theatre-dressed-as-the-queen-to-rebuke-noisy-drummers/article11730323/

Helen Mirren reigns at London's Olivier awards April 28, 2013 | 11:22 pm JILL LAWLESS Associated Press The Washington Examiner

LONDON (AP) -- Helen Mirren was crowned queen of the London stage at the Olivier Awards Sunday, while compelling, canine-titled teen drama "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" emerged as best in show with seven trophies.

Mirren, 67, was a popular and expected best actress choice for her regal yet vulnerable Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience," Peter Morgan's behind-palace-doors drama about the relationship between Britain's queen and its prime ministers.

The actress, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for playing Britain's monarch in "The Queen," quipped that it was 87-year-old Elizabeth who deserved an award, "for the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th century, and probably the 21st century."

Backstage, it turned out she wasn't kidding. Mirren, who has been Olivier-nominated three times before, said that finally winning "doesn't mean that I was the best actor. There were so many incredible performances out there."

"I was making a joke about the queen winning, but I think actually it is a reflection of the kind of respect the queen is held in," she said.

Her "Audience" co-star, Richard McCabe, who won the supporting actor trophy for playing 1960s and 70s Prime Minister Harold Wilson, said Mirren was a joy to work with.

"It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless, and she is," he said.

While the queen herself hasn't been to see the Stephen Daldry-directed show -- rumored to be Broadway-bound -- McCabe said "a lot of people in the royal household have been coming in and watching incognito, and they must be reporting back."

The surprise of the awards ceremony at London's Royal Opera House was "Curious Incident," an adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling young-adult novel about a teenage math prodigy with Asperger's Syndrome who sets out to find the killer of his neighbor's dog, with destabilizing results.

The show, which premiered at the state-subsidized National Theatre last year before transferring to a commercial West End playhouse, has won praise for its creative use of movement and technology to make the leap from page to stage.

The Simon Stephens-scripted drama was named best new play, and 28-year-old Luke Treadaway was crowned best actor, beating a strong list of contenders including Rupert Everett, Mark Rylance and James McAvoy.


READ MORE: http://washingtonexaminer.com/helen-mirren-reigns-at-londons-olivier-awards/article/2528386

Helen Mirren nominated for an Olivier Award TELEGRAPH

By Daisy Bowie-Sell

1:45AM GMT 26 Mar 2013

She has won an Oscar, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of The Queen, and now Helen Mirren will have the chance to add an Olivier to her list of awards won for playing Elizabeth II.

Mirren has been nominated in the Best Actress category this year, for her role in the new play The Audience, directed by Stephen Daldry.

The Audience opened to a string of favourable reviews earlier this month, with Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph's theatre critic, calling Mirren's performance 'Magnificent'.

The actress will be competing for the award against Hattie Morahan, who won this year's Evening Standard Theatre Award for her role as Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House, Billie Piper for The Effect and Kristin Scott Thomas for Old Times.

In the Best Actor category Mark Rylance has been nominated for his acclaimed, cross-dressing performance in Twelfth Night. He is up against Rupert Everett in The Judas Kiss, James McAvoy in Macbeth, Rafe Spall in Constellations and Luke Treadaway in The Curious Incident.

READ MORE:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/9953945/Olivier-Award-nominations-Helen-Mirren-nominated-for-best-actress.html

Dame Helen Mirren Hints At Sam Mendes Sexism At Empire Awards 25 March 2013 (CONTACT MUSIC)

Oscar-winning alumni disappointed at Skyfall director's lack of female influences

Dame Helen Mirren doesn’t indulge herself in any sort of beef too often, so when she does you tend to listen, as it’s normally based on some pretty solid foundations. So what, then, of her Empire Awards acceptance speech, where she lambasted Sam Mendes, suggesting slightly cryptically that he might be sexist?

According to The Guardian, Mirren’s issue with the Skyfall director after he’d listed an exclusively male set of influences upon picking up his best director award on stage, neglecting any female film makers. When it came to Mirren to pick her Legend award, she took to the stage and said in her acceptance speech "I don't want to unduly pick on Sam Mendes, but when he spoke about his inspirations earlier this evening, I'm afraid not a single one of the people he mentioned was a woman.” Receiving cheers from the audience. "Hopefully in five or 10 years, when Sam's successor is collecting their Inspiration award, the list will be slightly more balanced in terms of its sexual make-up. In the meantime, this one is for the girls."

READ MORE: http://www.contactmusic.com/news/dame-helen-mirren-samuel-mendes-sexist-empire-awards_3575154

Helen Mirren: Review of THE AUDIENCE (LONDON THEATER)

Review by Peter Brown
2 March 2013

Helen Mirren (Queen Elizabeth II), Haydn Gwynne (Margaret Thatcher),Richard McCabe (Harold Wilson), Paul Ritter (John Major) (Photos by Johan Persson) 

Every week – when the relevant parties are in London – Queen Elizabeth II meets with her current Prime Minister for a cosy chat about … well, we don't actually know what they talk about because no minutes are published, or even kept. And so far as I am aware none of the 12 Prime Ministers who have served during the Queen's 61 year reign has given anything more than a vague hint of what their discussions have covered. So, how do you make a play out of meetings like that?

Peter Morgan's answer to that tricky question is to blend fact and fiction. He draws on what is commonly known about the personalities of various Prime Ministers and the issues they faced during their periods in office, then mixes-in the character of a shrewd, hard-working and intelligent monarch, and finally tops it all off with completely fictional but rather witty dialogue. The recipe proves immensely successful so that the final theatrical dish is humorously entertaining, well-observed, and has enough in the way of authenticity to be (just about) believable.

In the lead, as Queen Elizabeth II, is Helen Mirren who has already had a fairly decent rehearsal for the part, as she won an oscar in 2006 for her portrayal of the same person in the film 'The Queen'. With the kind of experience she has acquired, perhaps she may be missing a few performances in the near future in order to stand in for HMQ while she recovers from her current illness.


READ MORE: http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/audience.htm

Helen Mirren Play 'The Audience' to Screen in Movie Theaters Worldwide 6:36 PM PST 2/21/2013 by David Rooney (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)

The actress reprises the role of Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's new play, which focuses on the monarch's weekly meetings with Britain's prime ministers.

NEW YORK -- It's already one of the hottest tickets of the theater year in London, but international audiences will also get a chance to see Helen Mirren in The Audience when a performance of the play is broadcast live to movie screens around the world on June 13.

Directed by Stephen Daldry, the production reunites Mirren with playwright Peter Morgan, who wrote the screenplay for The Queen. That 2006 Stephen Frears film earned Mirren a best actress Oscar for the title role of Queen Elizabeth II. She steps back into the shoes of the British sovereign in this new play, which provides a fictionalized account of the monarch's weekly closed-door chats with her prime ministers during her six decades on the throne.

READ MORE: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/helen-mirren-play-audience-screen-423397

Helen Mirren: My living portrait of the Queen (TELEGRAPH)

By Sarah Crompton12:30PM GMT 14 Feb 2013

Helen Mirren: "This Queen is everything" Photo: David Levene /eyevine

Helen Mirren sits very straight, folding and unfolding her hands from a resting position just below her bosom as she speaks. It is a gesture reminiscent of Her Majesty the Queen.

In all other respects, the 67-year-old actress, who possesses a glamour that time has not withered, bears little resemblance to the 86-year-old monarch either now or at any point in her 60-year reign.

Yet ever since she played the title role in The Queen – the 2006 film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan – the two have become muddled in people’s minds, making the Queen seem slightly more beautiful than she is and Mirren rather more regal.

That confusion will become even greater next Friday when Mirren steps on to the stage as Elizabeth II in The Audience, Morgan’s new play which examines the monarch’s relationship with the prime ministers who have served her. Morgan wrote it with Mirren in mind – but she was initially reluctant to reprise the role.

“I didn’t want to do it. The first thing I emailed to him was ‘You b------’,” she says. “[As an actress] you want to go forward and not be stuck with a character for the rest of your life. I always think of the obituary, you know?” She is laughing now. “Well, I do. It was Prime Suspect for ages: ‘Jane Tennison has been sadly knocked over by a bus’.” Now the image of Mirren as the hard-drinking detective she played for seven series on ITV has been supplanted in people’s minds by her uncanny portrayal of the Queen.

Helen Mirren dressed as the Queen in the new play, The Audience. Photo: Johan Persson

We are talking during a break in rehearsals for the new play. Harold Wilson (played by Richard McCabe) has just wandered out of the room; David Cameron (Rufus Wright) has not yet arrived. Around a table, surrounded by books, papers and scripts, sit Mirren, Morgan and the director Stephen Daldry. All are smiling and apparently relaxed, despite the fact that they are only two weeks from the opening of one of the most anticipated plays of the season.

Morgan first came up with the idea for The Audience when he was working on The Queen, which was set immediately after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. “I remember people were keen that I didn’t have Blair in the film because they felt that would make it less filmic,” he says. “But I really loved writing the Blair-Queen scenes because that was where it came alive for me.”



READ MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/london-shows/9858532/Helen-Mirren-My-living-portrait-of-the-Queen.html

Dame Helen Mirren To Reveal Secrets Of Queen’s Appointments With Prime Ministers In New Play (ROYAL CENTRAL)

It’s now been almost 7 years since the controversial film The Queen his our screens and now, Dame Helen Mirren and more well-known faces are to take to the stage to perform The Queen’s meetings with her Prime Ministers in front of thousands in a paying audience.

The original film depicts the Monarchy’s struggle to understand what the people want and how various Prime Ministers have helped and been helped by the Monarch over her 60 year reign.

This new on stage play was announced a few months ago and now it has emerged that Helen Mirren is to meetings between Her Majesty The Queen and her Prime Ministers

The much anticipated play will reveal which Prime Ministers The Queen was closest to, the political audiences she dreaded and how Sir John Major played an unlikely role as marriage counsellor to the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.

READ MORE:http://www.royalcentral.co.uk/news/dame-helen-mirren-to-reveal-secrets-of-queens-appointments-with-prime-ministers-in-new-play-2266#.UPwbiIc1k8c

Helen Mirren: Hero or Villain? (The Independent)

SIMMY RICHMAN   SUNDAY 06 JANUARY 2013

As the songwriting duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein famously put it, there is nothing like a dame. But there is not now, and never has there ever been, another Dame quite like Helen Mirren.

Here she goes again, a handful of years shy of her 70th birthday, still flying in the face of Home Counties attitudes. That her views on marriage and romance – widely reported last week – were culled from an interview that The Queen and Prime Suspect actress gave to the cosy Woman and Home magazine, is further proof of the perverse pleasure Mirren has always taken in puncturing preconceptions.

It was in evidence the first time many of us encountered her. That was in 1975 when she was the first guest on the Parkinson chat show. As Parky embarrassingly muttered on about her "physical attributes", she left viewers in no doubt about how she felt at having to answer such "boring questions". Later, she talked about the culture of male chauvinism prevalent then, and told her host: "You've heard that phrase, I'm sure."

Returning to the show 32 years later, she had noticeably mellowed, but didn't let that stop her telling Parkinson: "I thought you were sexist," and, a greater crime to her way of thinking, "didn't even dare say the word 'breasts'."

READ MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/helen-mirren-hero-or-villain-8439674.html

In absence of Bette Midler to play lawyer, HBO film on Phil Spector falls to Plan B: Helen Mirren (NY DAILY NEWS)

DAVID HINCKLEY

PASADENA, Calif. — No Bette Midler?
No problem. Just ring up Helen Mirren.

When Midler had back problems that forced her to drop out of HBO’s upcoming movie on Phil Spector, titled “Spector,” the producers fortunately had a Plan B: Mirren.

We should all plan so well.

The British actress is better known for elegant BBC productions than the crazy world of the convicted record producer, which premieres next month. But she told TV critics here she enjoyed the ride — and that having no time to research the role wasn’t a problem.

“It’s a strange amalgamation of imagination and reality,” Mirren told TV critics here. “The imaginative part, I think, is as important as the realistic element.”


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/helen-mirren-subs-midler-hbo-phil-spector-biopic-article-1.1233829#ixzz2HDJdgEC6

Helen Mirren "happy" her Hollywood star next to Colin Firth's Thu Jan 3, 2013 7:24pm EST (REUTERS)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren finally got her wish on Thursday, receiving a star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to dashing fellow Briton Colin Firth.

"I couldn't be prouder and more happy that I'm actually going to finally lie next to Colin Firth, something I've been wanting to do for a very long time," Mirren said wryly.

Mirren, 67, who won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in 2006's "The Queen," was honored with the iconic terrazzo and brass star along Hollywood Boulevard in the historical heart of the U.S. film industry.

Mirren's star, the 2,488th since the Walk of Fame began in 1958, serves as a de facto lifetime achievement award for those in the entertainment industry.


READ MORE: http://ca.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idCABRE90300D20130104

Best Of Great Britain British Acting Royalty: Always In Demand, on Stage and in Hollywood By Yahoo! Contributor | Visit Britain – Mon, 22 Oct, 2012 8:17 PM EDT (OMG)

These days, it seems there's a hot new thing on the movie scene every other week. But it takes a lot more than a few red carpets and magazine covers to develop a lasting career: It takes quality performances in quality projects. Just ask these British thespians who've enjoyed decades-long careers with dozens of fine credits — and official recognition from the Queen — to their names.

Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench began her professional acting career in 1957 with the Old Vic Company and subsequently established herself as a great British theatre actress. British audiences also knew her from a starring role in the long-running domestic comedy TV series "As Time Goes By."

Of course, she has since also established herself as a powerhouse of film. Dench appeared in no less than six films last year including the Oscar-nominated "My Week With Marilyn," biopic "J. Edgar" and box-office juggernaut "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

In November, she reprises the role of M, the head of Foreign Intelligence for Her Majesty's Secret Service, in the next 007 installment, "Skyfall."


Maggie Smith

With a career that's spanned highbrow ("Othello") to more mainstream fare ("Sister Act," "Harry Potter"), Dame Maggie Smith shows no sign of slowing down at the age of 77. The formidable actress, known for both dramatic and comedic roles, has most recently graced the small screen in her Emmy-winning role of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey."

While she's most recently brought her acting prowess to TV, let's not forget she's also a six-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner: for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in 1969 and "California Suite in 1979. But she's probably best known to movie audiences worldwide for playing Professor McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" movies.

Helen Mirren

A revered stage and screen actress, Dame Helen Mirren isn't just acting royalty — she's played actual royalty on film. Her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film "The Queen" earned the dynamo the Oscar for Best Actress. Off-screen, she turned heads with her stunning styles as she made the award-show circuit, looking sexy at 67.

But she was well known in England long before "The Queen" — as a television actress, having brought life to the gritty detective in the "Prime Suspect" series. From 1992 until 2006, she played a woman fighting for respect, and to nab suspects, in a police world dominated by men.

Next up, Mirren appears in a yet-to-be-titled Phil Spector biopic alongside Al Pacino and an Alfred Hitchcock biopic starring Anthony Hopkins.

READ MORE: http://ca.omg.yahoo.com/blogs/visit-britain-ca/british-acting-royalty-always-demand-stage-hollywood-001753471.html

Colin Firth: Old article I found from February 2011 - All Of Britain Wants Colin Firth To Win At The Oscars! (PEREZ HILTON)

BEFORE COLIN WON THE OSCAR...HIS FRIENDS WERE BATTING FOR HIM

Especially The Queen Helen Mirren and Dame Judy Dench.

As two of the most revered women in film, their opinions carry a lot of weight in the industry and across the pond. When both ladies were asked about the Oscars this year, they each had one name on the brain - Colin Firth.

Helen told sources she was "100%" certain that Colin would make it home with an Oscar for his performance in The King's Speech. She called his performance "spectacular" and expressed her deep pride to be a "British actor alongside him."

As for Miz Dame Judy, she told sources that she was thrilled to see Colin's name on the ballot as she finds him to be one of the most "special" actors to work with in the biz. She explained:

“I’m very, very pleased for Colin that he is up for an Oscar. Colin has a lot of special qualities and has had them for a long time – not least behaving very badly on set. He is a terrible laugher when things get serious. I hope it is his year though."

Such praise! Not unwarranted either!

READ MORE: http://perezhilton.com/2011-02-07-helen-mirren-dame-judy-dench-rooting-for-colin-firth-at-oscars#.UIFxt8XA-RY

Helen Mirren to be honored at European Film Awards By Guy Lodge TUESDAY, SEP 25, 2012 1:45 PM (HIT FIX)

Well, it sure is nice to see Helen Mirren win an award for once. It was announced today that the Oscar-winning actress will receive this year's European Achievement in World Cinema Award at December's European Film Awards ceremony -- "a very meaningful honor," she said, while clearing some shelf space. Of course, there's the possibility that this won't be the high point of her awards season, with Fox Searchlight planning a Best Actress Oscar campaign for her turn as Alma Reville opposite Anthony Hopkins's "Hitchcock." In other Mirren news, she's reprising her role as Queen Elizabeth II on the West End in a new Peter Morgan play, to be directed by Stephen Daldry. Seats will no doubt be in high demand, so I'll graciously sit this one out. [European Film Academy]

Read more: http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/roundup-helen-mirren-to-be-honored-at-european-film-awards

Mirren is fit for a queen Last Updated: 12:19 AM, June 21, 2012 Posted: 10:31 PM, June 19, 2012 Michael Riedel (NEW YORK POST)

Helen Mirren won an Oscar as Elizabeth II in “The Queen.”
So why not wear the crown again?

Mirren’s doing readings in London this week of a new play called “The Audience,” which chronicles Elizabeth II’s reign from 1952 to this month’s Diamond Jubilee.

“The Audience” is by Peter Morgan, who wrote “The Queen” as well as the hit Broadway play “Frost/Nixon.”

Morgan’s top choice for director, I hear, is Stephen Daldry, who staged “Billy Elliot.”

If Mirren commits to “The Audience,” the plan is to produce it in London this fall and then move it to Broadway, possibly by spring 2013.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/mirren_is_fit_for_queen_670kx2yXn9M19O2lvlVxEO#ixzz1ycVhTrwp

Helen Mirren on Parkinson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU7899DXQGI&feature=relmfu