The King's Speech
The King's Speech is based on the true story of Queen Elizabeth II's father and his remarkable friendship with maverick speech therapist Lionel Logue.
Fascinating, moving and often humorous it charts the personal relationship that developed between England’s reluctant King George VI, plagued by a nervous stammer, and his irreverent Australian speech therapist.
As the second son of George V, Prince Albert 'Bertie' was not expected to ascend to the throne, but when his brother Edward abdicates to marry American Wallis Simpson, Bertie, as his successor, is crowned King George VI.
George becomes King as radio is taking off as a mass medium and the Second World War looms. Thrust into the international spotlight he must speak not only to the nation but to the people of the British Empire, across the world.
His wife, Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, is tireless in her belief in him. Having tried all the traditional doctors she engages unorthodox outsider, Logue, to help him find a voice that can inspire a nation on the brink of war.
BAFTA winner Colin Firth (A Single Man, Mamma Mia!) stars as Prince Albert, alongside his Shakespeare in Love colleague, Oscar® winner Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shine), as speech therapist Lionel Logue.
The multi-award-winning cast includes Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter, Sweeney Todd) as Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), with Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker) as the abdicating King Edward VIII, Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo Lang, Timothy Spall (The Damned United) as Winston Churchill, Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Glory, Pride and Prejudice) as Logue’s wife Myrtle and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) as King George V
Directed by Emmy® winner Tom Hooper (John Adams, The Damned United) from a screenplay by David Seidler (Tucker: The Man And His Dream); The King's Speech is produced by See-Saw’s Iain Canning (Control, Hunger) and Emile Sherman (Candy, Rabbit Proof Fence) and Bedlam Production’s Gareth Unwin (Exam).
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi
The King's Speech is released 7th January 2011