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Hollywood comes to Grand Lodge
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The ever-growing popularity of Freemasons’ Hall as a venue for the film and television world was underlined in May, when a major event was held there for the Hollywood blockbuster Disney film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, part of which was actually filmed in the building.
The Grand Temple and surrounding areas were completely transformed for the 1,000 guests to the extravaganza in a way never seen in the building before. The
event followed the World Premiere at
the Empire, Leicester Square, and was organised by Amanda Davies and her company, AD Events.
As guests came through the Tower entrance in Wild Street, they were greeted by a Vogan soldier, one of the characters from the film created by Hensons, with another Vogan helping in the cloakroom. Afterwards a couple of them danced with the guests.
All the waiting staff were dressed in costumes.
Karen Haigh, who runs the non-Masonic events and filming at Grand Lodge, said: “Amanda kept coming in to the building over a few years, and because we had Hitchhiker’s filming inside it seemed a good idea to have the Premiere reception there.
“Senior executives from Buena Vista,
the Disney film company, thought the place was wonderful. It was also nice to have the mother of Hitchhiker’s author Douglas Adams, who died a few years ago, among the guests.”
Amanda said: “I do the film premieres
for Disney, find the venue, put together
the design and install and run the event.
“I saw Karen Haigh at Grand Lodge about eight years ago and fell in love with the building. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy came along and part of it was actually filmed at Freemasons’ Hall for two weeks. There
is even a book out on the film with pictures in there of the building.
“I am always looking out for new
venues, and the building is so fabulous and the people at Grand Lodge are fantastic.
I look forward to coming back soon. For
the event, some rooms were transformed into different elements of the film, including a big video screen in the Grand Temple. Outside the Tower entrance we had a Hogpod spaceship billowing smoke, and
we needed permission from Camden Council to do this. We also lit the outside
of building with colour changes and guests were thrilled.”
Among Amanda’s other major events have been Terminator 3, the BAFTA Film Awards, Star Wars and Spiderman.
Above: (left) a Vogan soldier at the entrance and (right) the main cloakroom is lit up
Photographs courtesy of AD Events
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MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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