Film and television executive producer Marigo Kehoe launches new Creative Dialogues

An award-winning producer who has helped to create some of the most critically-acclaimed television series and films of recent vintage has taken to the stage to share some of her personal highlights from her hugely successful career.

Marigo Kehoe, whose production credits include acclaimed shows Wallander, The Deal and Strike Back, reflected upon her career journey in conversation with film critic Mark Kermode, and Professor of Film, Linda Williams, in front of a live audience at the University of Exeter.

It spanned her recent work with Amazon and Sony on The Wheel of Time, her decade as Managing Director at the award-winning Left Bank Pictures, and her experiences in cinema, where she has worked on productions including The Damned United and The Queen.

The event signified the return of the Creative Dialogues series, orchestrated by the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, which seeks to bring high-profile speakers from the arts, creative industries and journalism to Exeter. It is also part of a strategic endeavour to support the creative industries. Previous guests have included Charles Dance, Kamila Shamsie, Stephen Fry, Meera Syal & Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Amma Asante.

Kehoe is an alumna of the University, graduating in 1984 with a degree in American and Commonwealth Arts. Returning to the Streatham campus, she was taken on a tour of the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum by its Curator, Dr Phil Wickham, and later met with academic staff to discuss Screen Devon, the county’s new screen agency. A tour of the campus followed, before she met with some TV and Film students and alumni in the University’s Thornlea Building, home to its Drama department, to share advice and insights.

She said: “It was inspiring to meet undergraduate and Masters students, and all of them were engaged and had great questions to put to me. I wish them all the best of luck for the future.”

At the evening Creative Dialogue event, Kehoe was welcomed by the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Lisa Roberts, and Will Higbee, Professor of Film Studies and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business Engagement and Innovation in the Faculty. She then took the audience on a tour of her career – one that began in commercials as a producer working for many of the top UK operators at the time, including Ridley Scott, Paul Weiland and Rose Hackney. Kehoe then moved into television with Channel 4, where she oversaw the production of the award-winning Shackleton, before she was appointed Head of Production at Tiger Aspect.

Her next role was at ITV franchise Granada, were as Head of Production, Drama, Comedy and Film, Kehoe enjoyed a golden run, overseeing the likes of Cracker, The Royle Family, Cold Feet and The Deal, as well as The Queen, before she co-founded Left Bank Pictures with Andy Harries in 2007.

Together, they helped to oversee the creation of The Crown for Netflix, as well as other multiple award-winning drama and comedy series for HBO, BBC, ITV1, Channel 4, E4, and Sky. They included three series of the seven times BAFTA award-winning Wallander; three series of Strike Back; five series of Inspector Banks and five series of Outlander.

This run of success earned Left Bank the Broadcast Production Company of the Year award in both 2011 and 2017, as well as Production Company of the Year at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2017. Kehoe herself won the Women in Film and Television Business Award in 2015.

“To be back at Exeter after 40 years was extraordinary,” Marigo said. “So much has changed but it brought back so many great memories – particularly of taking my driving test across campus when my friends stood by the side of the road to cheer me on! Most importantly for me studying film and literature on the American and Commonwealth Arts course is the addition of the extraordinary Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. I had a fascinating tour with the curator Dr Phil Wickham who showed me a small proportion of the remarkable collection. I would like to thank all the staff who looked after me all day and gave me a fascinating insight into the thriving department that is the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.”

Professor Lisa Roberts added: “I’m delighted that the Creative Dialogues series has been brought back to campus. The value of these events in sharing knowledge and life experiences is vital for our students and our staff, and I know that everybody involved will be inspired by the leading figures who are joining us over the coming months.

“We were thrilled to welcome executive producer Marigo Kehoe to the first event of this new series, and we are all very grateful that she gave so much of her time to meet our brilliant Undergraduate and Postgraduate students and alumni, as well as joining us for a fascinating conversation.”