Jordan Wright
February 12, 2020
The unfolding drama in The King’s Speech is young Bertie’s ability to overcome a debilitating stammer. Coupled with the issue of his brother David’s affair with the twice-divorced, utterly unsuitable Wallis Simpson, it forms the basis for this fascinating historical dramedy. When their father George V dies, David becomes next in line to the throne. However, it was no secret to the royal family that David (later known as the Duke of Windsor) and Wallis were Nazi sympathizers when England was fighting Hitler. David’s affair and the couple’s affection for Hitler, made him an impossible candidate to ascend to the throne.
Tiffany Scott as Wallis Simpson and Jeff Parker as David, Duke of Windsor ~ Photos by Liz Lauren.
You may recall the movie of the same name. It won four Academy Awards and starred Colin Firth as King George (Best Actor) and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue, the King’s Aussie speech therapist. But what you may not know, is that playwright David Seidler had always intended it to be staged and had gone so far as to obtain permission from the Queen Mother who insisted it not be staged until after her death. Its North American premiere last fall at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theater, finally made Seidler’s dream a reality.
With a constitutional crisis at hand, David ultimately is forced to abdicate, and Bertie must face his fears to speak authoritatively and publicly at a time of war in his role as King George VI. Tapped to be next in line to the throne, he must learn to overcome his speech impediment and speak with authority. In desperation, his wife finds a questionable speech therapist, Lionel Logue, in truth a failed actor with whom he develops an unusual relationship, as King to commoner. Recalling the words of his overbearing father, “Sitting on thrones is our business,” he reluctantly subordinates his royal status to Lionel’s unorthodox methods.
Much of the drama and hilariously snappy repartee are reflected in Bertie and Lionel’s fraught relationship, though some of it centers around, the charismatic Lionel and his wife, Myrtle, whose pressing desire is to return to Australia. Scenes between Churchill and the diabolical Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, give historical weight to the palace intrigue surrounding the kingdom’s sudden shift of power.
Kevin Gudahl as Winston Churchill and John Judd as King George V ~ Photos by Liz Lauren.
Scenes that shift from Lionel’s shabby studio to the palace and ultimately Westminster Abbey are bolstered by Kevin Depinet’s wonderful set design and David Wollard’s period costumes. Nick Westrate as Bertie, Michael Bakkensen as Lionel, and Jeff Parker as Bertie’s brother, David, are electrifying in this tip-top production.
With Kevin Gudahl as Winston Churchill; John Judd as King George V; Elizabeth Ledo as Myrtle Logue; Noble Shropshire as Cosmo Lang; David Lively as Stanley Baldwin; Maggie Lacey as Elizabeth; and Tiffany Scott as Wallis Simpson.
Directed by Michael Wilson; Lighting Design by Howell Binkley; Sound Design and Original Music Composition by John Gromada.
Through February 16th at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. For tickets and information call 1.800.514.3849 or visit www.TheNationalDC.com