Dame Helen Mirren well and truly went against character during a recent performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the stage show The Audience, when she stormed from the stage to yell at a group of street drummers outside the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End for making too much noise. A somewhat mortified Dame Helen has since apologised for the incident and shown support for the cause the drummers were making such a racket about, but admitted that she would gladly do the same again if needed to.

The actress gave out a statement, wearing a t-shirt promoting the One in the Park festival; a LGBT festival held in east London that the drummers were attempting to promote, in which she said; "I was very upset, I was very cross. I had just spent 10 minutes on stage trying to allow the audience to hear what I was saying, which was sort of impossible. I was steaming."


Dame Helen Mirren addresses the 'situation'

Her t-shirt read 'Yes please, just not outside a theatre,' and the Oscar-winning actress added that although she actually enjoyed the music and supports what the promoters were raising awareness for, she still stands by her actions and she would be willing to do the same again. Although she did admit that her actions were hardly regal, commenting that they were "more Duke of Edinburgh than the Queen."

Last week the 67-year-old won an Olivier for her depiction of the royal, but still her actions this week would no doubt have done more for the play than any award could have done, and the same goes for the festival too, which has announced an incredible influx of interest since Dame Helen's rant. It is true then that all publicity is good publicity.

Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren struggles to make people dislike her, no matter what she gets up to.