The Barn Theatre in Cirencester has announced the cast for a new production of The King’s Speech, which will open at the theatre in October before embarking on an extensive UK tour.
David Seidler’s play will run at the Barn Theatre from 9 October to 7 November 2026, with Loveday Ingram directing, before the production begins its national tour in Oxford on 13 January 2027.
The tour will continue through to July 2027, visiting venues across the UK including Coventry, Cheltenham, Darlington, Blackpool, Bath, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Windsor, Salisbury, Sheffield, Cambridge, Liverpool and Malvern.
Australian actor Stefan Dennis, best known for playing Paul Robinson in Neighbours and for his work in River City, will play Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist who helps the future King George VI overcome his debilitating stammer.
George Rainsford, known for Casualty and the National Theatre production of Dear England, will play ‘Bertie’, King George VI.
The cast also includes Rosanna Miles as Queen Elizabeth, Lucy Bromilow as Myrtle Logue and Wallis Simpson, Tim Hudson as King George V and Winston Churchill, Ian Kirkby as Archbishop Cosmo Lang and Mark Hammersley as David, King Edward VIII and Stanley Baldwin.
The production is being staged by the Barn Theatre in partnership with Tiny Giant Entertainment.
Design comes from Adam Wiltshire, with Hector Murray responsible for lighting and Elizabeth Purnell creating the music and sound design. Marc Frankum is the casting director.
Set against the backdrop of a country approaching another world war, the play centres on Bertie, a reluctant and unprepared king who is suddenly required to address the nation despite struggling to speak in public.
Following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, Bertie becomes King George VI and faces the prospect of a crucial radio broadcast at a time when Britain is preparing for war.
His family turns to Lionel Logue, an unconventional speech therapist from Australia. Their relationship develops from an initially difficult professional arrangement into an unlikely friendship as Logue helps the new king find the confidence to speak to his country.
Seidler’s story was subsequently adapted into the Oscar-winning 2010 film starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.
The Barn Theatre’s new stage production will bring the story back to its theatrical roots before taking it to audiences around the country.
The UK tour will visit 25 venues, including the Theatre Royal in Bath, Salisbury Playhouse, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse and Malvern Theatres.
Tickets for the Cirencester production and UK tour are available through The King’s Speech production website.
