Helen Mirren took New York City by storm as she reprised her role of the Queen on Sunday evening. This time the actress was bringing her much-loved role to the stage, performing at the opening night of The Audience on Broadway.
Donning her stockings, pearls, brooches and conservative dresses, Helen once again played Her Majesty to perfection.
In her new role at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, the London-born star portrays the Queen from her younger years to the present day. The plot focuses around the weekly tête-à-têtes the monarch has with the prime minister behind closed doors, in the Audience Room of Buckingham Palace.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDame Helen – who has played the Queen twice before as well as Queen Elizabeth I – was praised for her stellar performance on the night.
The Academy Award-winner was clearly pleased with the positive reception she received, as she took her final bow and raised her arms in appreciation.
Helen, 69, was fittingly dressed as the 88-year-old monarch, sporting an elegant blue dress and matching neck tie, and carrying a black leather handbag that the Queen is often spotted with.
© Photo: Getty ImagesEarlier that evening Britain's greatest export had walked the red carpet with her fellow on-stage stars, choosing to wear a black sequined frock that featured sheer lace panelling. She was pictured sharing a joke with younger starlets Sadie Sink and Elizabeth Teeter, who she affectionately hugged and embraced.
Helen will appear on Broadway until 28 June. The Audience, written by Peter Morgan, premiered at London's West End in 2013 and is scheduled to return to the English capital for a revival later this year.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHelen, who picked up a mantelpiece's worth of prizes for her performance in the 2006 film The Queen, has previously spoken about her experience of meeting the monarch in person.
"When you meet the Queen, almost everyone gets it," said Helen, speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show last year. "You get this thing I call 'queen-itis,' which is like a terrible virus that suddenly hits you the minute you're in front of the Queen.
"You start saying weird things like, 'Oh, it's terribly good fun, wasn't it?' and 'Frightfully nice to meet you, ma'am.' This weird voice comes out. She's so used to it."
