Riverside Studios at 50: Dame Helen Mirren in Conversation

Sunday 15th March 2026

3:30pm – 4:30pm (60 mins)

Dame Helen Mirren in Conversation with Simon Curtis

As part of our 50th birthday celebrations, we are delighted to welcome Dame Helen Mirren back to Riverside Studios for a very special fundraising evening during which she will discuss her remarkable life and career with director and producer Simon Curtis (Woman in Gold, My Week with Marilyn, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale).

Having made her name as a young actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in 1979 Helen Mirren starred at Riverside Studios to great acclaim in Peter Gill’s production of Measure for Measure (pictured below). While her stage career achieved continued success, so did her work in cinema on films including The Long Good Friday, Excalibur and The Mosquito Coast, and on television in the ground-breaking dramas Blue Remembered Hills and Prime Suspect. Since then, she has become one of the world’s most celebrated stars, with an Oscar (for The Queen), three BAFTAs, six Emmys, three Golden Globes, an Olivier Award, a Tony Award and a Damehood to her name.  

Head of Programming Rhys Williamson said, “What an honour it is to host one of Britain’s greatest actresses, who helped put Riverside Studios on the map as Isabella in our 1979 production of ‘Measure for Measure’. Dame Helen’s appearance will help provide support to Riverside at a time when our industry faces rising costs and unprecedented funding challenges".

Every ticket you buy helps keep Riverside Studios inclusive and accessible to all, providing free and affordable space and support for emerging creatives, including via our annual Bitesize Festival, which helps develop and showcase new writing.  

If you will be attending the event and would like to submit a question for Dame Helen, please email [javascript protected email address] and write DAME HELEN MIRREN QUESTION in the subject line. Please note, not all questions will be selected.

Main image credit: Trevor Leighton