Helen Mirren won the Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth in “The Queen,” written by Peter Morgan. Now Baz Bamigboye reports from London in today’s Daily Mail that Mirren and Morgan are teaming up for a second go–this time on stage in the West End, and the play is called “The Audience.’ (Some movie blogs are reporting this without the credit.) Here’s the story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2206391/Helen-Mirren-set-reign-stage-Queen-Elizabeth-II.html
Baz, unlike the outlet that lifted the story from him this morning, spoke directly to Mirren. She said she was offered this role in June and considered turning it down. There are concerns about how to age her on stage. But Mirren and director Stephen Daldry work miracles. They will figure it out. The West End run is from February to June 2013. If it’s a hit, I have no doubt New York will see it in February 2014, for a nice Tony run.
Just a thought: QEII, up there in Buckingham Palace, dealing with naked relatives–what does she think of herself being depicted so often on film and on stage? Is she ghastly bored with it, or does she have DVDs and posters? I wonder if we’ll ever know!
