BWW Reviews: THE KING'S SPEECH, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 16 2015

When King Edward VIII abdicates the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, his brother Bertie stands next in line as King. While he displays many excellent qualities suited to the position, Bertie has a terrible stammer and is unable to speak in public. With the help of his wife, he starts work with speech therapist Lionel Logue in order to help him overcome his impedement.

Lionel is a little unconventional in his methods and Bertie is resistant to his help at first. The scenes in Lionel's office are at times hilarious and the first act is much lighter than the second. In the second half, war is declared against Germany and the issue of Bertie's speech becomes more pressing as he is expected to address the public.

The two leads Raymond Coulthard and Jason Donovan are exceptional in their roles. So much of the performance depends on a believable friendship between Bertie and Lionel and the two play it perfectly. Donovan captures all the quirks and eccentricities of Lionel Logue and Coulthard manages to portray an intially frosty but very likeable King.

The set is simple yet effective and I especially enjoyed the scenes in Westminster Abbey. While the set was hardly intricate, the use of sound and lighting really made it work. The script is very well written and the acting is superb making this a very elegant production.

The King's Speech is on tour around the UK.

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