BWW Reviews: THE KING'S SPEECH, Birmingham Rep Theatre, February 26 2015

Debuting earlier this month in Chichester, The King's Speech opened to critical acclaim. The show is a co-production with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre where I had the privilege of watching last night. When the film was released in 2010 starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, it became the most successful independent British production at the UK box office taking £250m and winning a series of Oscars.

Written and adapted by David Seidler, The King's Speech is a very moving piece of theatre without being overly sentimental. The text is incredibly witty in parts which strikes a great balance with the pathos. It is also a strong character study and Roxana Silbert's direction brings emphasis to this in multitudes. Although Tom Piper's set design is very beautiful, it is rather sparse so the action that Silbert needs to bring the staging to life; in this she succeeds greatly. With seamless scene changes and transitional states, everything is fluid. Oliver Fenwick's lighting design is naturalistic and locational; he also uses shadows to brilliant impact.

Raymond Coulthard as King George VI (or Bertie as he was affectionately known to his family) is tremendous. The portrayal of his stammer is commendable and it is played at the perfect level. He is quite a stiff character but so is his wife Queen Elizabeth, played by Claire Lams. Although wanting to help him through his therapy, she does not seem particularly tolerant of his affliction. Their relationship, particularly when Bertie is at his lowest ebb, makes for a very interesting one. A more enjoyable relationship to witness is the one between speech therapist Lionel Logue and his wife Myrtle - played by Jason Donovan and Katy Stephens respectively. Theirs is much warmer and believable in my opinion but this may be a status related differentiation. Admittedly I am not the greatest fan of Donovan's recent work but he is superb as Lionel. His Australian persona is obviously a comfortable place for him but he has the correct amount of empathy and strength required for the role. Stephens complements him very well in their two way scenes; a very diverse character for her based on the last production I saw her in - Oh No It Isn't! Strong ensemble work is also seen in the unfolding of the story leading upto the empowering speech that Bertie must deliver in the country's darkest hour.

A thoroughly gratifying evening at the theatre with stunning acting performances.

The King's Speech plays at the Birmingham Rep Theatre until 7th March and tours the UK until June 2015.

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