London's Riverside Studios has announced the final lineup of special events celebrating the West London venue’s 50th anniversary. The iconic Hammersmith arts centre, which first opened its doors in 1976, will conclude its golden jubilee celebrations with three exclusive on-stage events featuring prominent alumni who helped shape its rich history.
Kicking off the final slate on 8 November 2026, Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA-winning actress Hayley Mills returns for Hayley Mills in Conversation, a special fundraising event. Mills played a pivotal role in launching the tenure of Riverside’s very first artistic director, Peter Gill, in 1976. The evening will explore her extraordinary career, from her celebrated Disney roles in Pollyanna and The Parent Trap to her acclaimed West End debut and recent appearance in M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Trap.
On 10 January 2027, celebrated author and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi returns to the venue where his literary journey began as a bookshop manager in the late 1970s. Hanif Kureishi in Conversation will delve into his life as a novelist (The Buddha of Suburbia), Oscar-nominated screenwriter (My Beautiful Laundrette), and memoirist. Kureishi will also discuss his latest memoir, Are You with Me Now?, which reflects on creativity, desire, and survival following the 2022 accident that left him tetraplegic.
The anniversary season draws to a close on 21 February 2027 with Leigh Lawson: Now & Then. Lawson, who starred in Riverside’s first in-house production The Cherry Orchard in 1978, will share personal poetry and reflect on a career spanning over twenty feature films, including Roman Polanski’s Tess and Franco Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon.
The final trio of talks follows anniversary events featuring Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Lenny Henry, and the teams behind TFI Friday and Top of the Pops. Due to popular demand, Riverside Studios confirmed the In Conversation format will continue into its 51st year.
Tickets for all three anniversary events are on general sale now.
