FILMING AT FREEMASONS’ HALL
‘JOHNNY ENGLISH WAS SUCH A FUN FILM. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT, THIS COULD REALLY WORK’ Karen Haigh
Photography: BBC Photo Library, Silver Pictures/The Kobal Collection, Movie Store Collection, Capital Pictures
Matthew Macfadyen, Miranda Raison and Peter Firth on Great Queen Street
2. SPOOKS (2002-2011)
4. SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)
Freemasons’ Hall played MI5 headquarters Thames House in this clever and compelling spy drama, focusing on the undercover work of a team of super spies. ‘It was amazing to have a starring role in such a groundbreaking TV show. It showcased the Hall in such a fabulous way,’ recalls Karen. The only downside of being so involved in the production of the show, she says, was that the traditional end-of-series cliffhanger never had quite the same impact for her.
Some of the exhilarating scenes of the first Sherlock Holmes movie, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr, were filmed in the Hall. ‘Guy Ritchie had been to the Grand Lodge before and really wanted to use it as a location,’ Karen reminisces. ‘You could see during filming that it was going to be really good.’ Karen and her team built such a strong relationship with the film-makers during shooting that the star-studded press conference was held at the Hall on the day of the premiere.
Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English
3. JOHNNY ENGLISH (2003) Peter Howitt’s action comedy parodies the James Bond franchise, with Rowan Atkinson playing an inept spy. The opening credits take a veritable tour of the building. ‘It was such a fun film and there was a lovely atmosphere. Rowan Atkinson is a British institution, and for many of our members he is the most exciting actor that we have had here,’ says Karen. ‘I think it was the first time I thought, this could really work. Film London gave us lots of support, because they knew we had potential as a film location.’
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Robert Downey Jr on set as Holmes
John Malkovich inside the Grand Temple
5. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (2005) Douglas Adams’ comedy tells the story of hapless Arthur Dent after aliens destroy Earth. The Grand Temple took on its first starring role, as the Nose, the base for John Malkovich’s character. ‘I carefully pick the films that shoot here,’ says Karen. ‘This film is very tongue-in-cheek and seemed a wonderful way of saying that we can laugh at what people say about us. We built a great relationship with Disney, so they held the premiere party here.’