Talks
Hear from award-winning actor, writer, comedian and BAFTA Fellowship recipient Meera Syal CBE, as she shares insights from her multifaceted career spanning film, television and theatre, with credits including Goodness Gracious Me (1998-2018), The Kumars at No. 42 (2001-2006), Anita & Me (2002), Yesterday (2019) and Mrs Sidhu Investigates (2023).
Meera Syal CBE is an award-winning British actress, comedian and writer. Last year, she was presented with the BAFTA Fellowship at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises, which is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA and recognises an outstanding contribution to the industry. Syal was also rewarded the much-coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women in Film & Television Awards 2023.
Born in Wolverhampton, Syal began her career in theatre with roles spanning renowned productions, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Much Ado About Nothing, David Hares’ Behind The Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre) and Kenneth Branagh’s production of Romeo and Juliet (Garrick Theatre). Her television credits as a writer/performer include the multi award-winning comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at Number 42, for which she received a BAFTA nomination. Syal can currently be seen in Amazon’s The Devil’s Hour and The Wheel of Time. She is also currently starring as the title role in Acorn’s Mrs Sidhu Investigates. Other television credits include The Split, Broadchurch, Back To Life and Code 404.
On the big screen, her film credits include Yesterday, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Paddington 2, Doctor Strange and Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Her credits as a screenwriter include the popular films Bhaji on the Beach, Anita and Me and My Sister Wife, for which she won two Asian Film Awards.
Syal’s first novel, Anita and Me, won the Betty Trask Award and is the first novel by a British Asian writer to be included on the national school’s curriculum. She is currently in the process of writing her memoir, which is due for publication by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in June 2025.
Members tickets are available from 9.30 GMT on Wednesday 21 February. Public tickets are available from 10.00 GMT on Friday 23 February.
