Cast announced for THE KING’S SPEECH at Watermill Theatre
The cast and creative team has been announced for The King’s Speech, a new production of David Seidler’s play at the Watermill Theatre, running from 20 September - 2 November.
The King’s Speech takes an intimate view of one of life’s most unorthodox relationships between Bertie, the soon-to-be-crowned King George VI, and speech therapist Lionel Logue. As Hitler’s threat on Europe encroaches, Bertie fights his own battle to overcome his speech impediment at the time his country needs him most.
Imagine yourself as a child terrified of your own parents, because every time you speak you disappoint them. Teased. Unable to share a joke with friends. Trapped in a body that refuses to obey your commands.
The role of Bertie will be played by Peter Sandys-Clarke (The Letter, West End), with Arthur Hughes (The Innocents, Netflix) as Lionel Logue, and Aamira Challenger (Witness for the Prosecution, London County Hall) as Elizabeth.
Rosa Hesmondhalgh (We Could All Be Perfect, Sheffield Crucible) will play Myrtle Logue/Wallis Simpson, with Christopher Naylor (The Woman in Black, West End) as Cosmo Lang, Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Aladdin, West End) as David/Stanley Baldwin, and Jim Kitson (The Grinning Man, West End) as King George V/Winston Churchill.
Director Emma Butler said: “I’m thrilled to be working on David Seidler’s brilliant play, The King’s Speech. Bringing these fantastic characters to life with such a superb cast and building this beautiful central relationship with Peter and Arthur will be a joy. Set against a backdrop of a world in political turmoil, the rise of fascism and a crumbling of tradition, The King’s Speech feels searingly relevant in 2024. Deconstructing barriers across societies and continents, this play shows that, underneath the surface, we are all the same at heart, and that friendships can bloom regardless of where we come from.”
The Watermill Theatre have partnered with The Fluency Trust to navigate the themes of the play.
The Fluency Trust is a registered charity, who work in partnership with Swindon Borough Council to run highly specialist residential courses for young people who stammer. The combination of challenging activities and intensive therapy is highly effective in developing confidence and the ability to manage stammering positively.
Alongside director Emma Butler, the creative team includes set and costume designer Bretta Gerecke, sound designer and composer Robin Colyer, and lighting designer Ryan Day.
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