21 SEPTEMBER 2026
CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
THE KING’S SPEECH UK TOUR
PLAYING AT CURVE 6 – 10 APRIL 2027
- Cast Includes Stefan Dennis (Neighbours) as Lionel Logue and George Rainsford (Casualty) as Bertie King George VI
Today, the Barn Theatre in Cirencester, in partnership with Tiny Giant Entertainment, has announced casting for their new production of The King’s Speech by David Seidler. Loveday Ingram will direct the show, which will play at the Barn from 9 October – 7 November 2026 and then embark on a major UK tour, playing at Curve in Leicester on Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 April 2027.
Casting includes Stefan Dennis (Neighbours, River City) as Lionel Logue, George Rainsford (Casualty, BBC; Dear England, National Theatre) as Bertie King George VI, Rosanna Miles (Haywire; What the Butler Saw) as Queen Elizabeth, Lucy Bromilow (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Old Vic; Mary Page Marlowe, The Old Vic) as Myrtle Logue/ Wallis Simpson, Tim Hudson (Bonhoeffer; Exe Men) as King George V / Winston Churchill, Ian Kirkby (Dear England; Straight Line Crazy, Bridge Theatre) as Archbishop Cosmo Lang and Mark Hammersley (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, RSC; Ballet Shoes, National Theatre) as David/ King Edward VIII/ Stanley Baldwin.
Set and costume design is by Adam Wiltshire, Lighting Design is by Hector Murray, Music and Sound Design is by Elizabeth Purnell and Casting Director is Marc Frankum.
The production will visit Cirencester, Oxford, Coventry, Cheltenham, Clwyd, Darlington, Blackpool, Bath, Guildford, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Windsor, Eastbourne, Leicester, Bromley, Wolverhampton, Southend, Salisbury, Sheffield, Winchester, Northampton, Carlisle, Ipswich, Cambridge, Liverpool and Malvern.
The world is listening…
A country on the precipice of another terrible war. An abdicated king. A constitutional crisis. And the only man who can provide hope for the nervous British public is Bertie – a man who is shy, unprepared for monarchy and, worst of all, has a debilitating speech impediment.
With the future of the monarchy, and Britain itself, on the line, an historic radio address looms over a man who can barely stammer through full sentences. Desperate, Bertie and his family turn to an unconventional speech therapist from Australia to turn him into the king Britain can believe in.
As royal protocol meets unorthodox challenges, what emerges is an unlikely but deeply meaningful friendship. Adapted from the Oscar-winning film, this exciting new production from the acclaimed Barn Theatre blends humour, heart and high stakes in a beloved drama about duty, courage and finding one’s voice.
THE KING’S SPEECH will run at Curve in Leicester from Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 April 2027. Tickets are on sale now. To find out more and book, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.
Curve
60 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1SB
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About Curve
Curve is an award-winning producing theatre with a commitment to ensuring as many people as possible can access great art and culture. Each year, over two million people engage with Curve through performances in Leicester, across the UK and internationally. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, Curve has developed an international reputation for producing, presenting and touring a bold and diverse slate of musicals, plays, new work, and dance, which sits alongside a vibrant community and learning programme.
Recent Made at Curve productions and co-productions include: BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL (World Premiere), KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, KINKY BOOTS (London Coliseum, UK and Europe tour); INSIDE AMERICAN PIE; LEGALLY BLONDE (UK and Ireland tour); THE SOUND OF MUSIC; ALIENS LOVE PANTA CLAUS; WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF; LOST ATOMS (UK tour); A CHORUS LINE (Sadler’s Wells, UK and Japan tour); MURIEL’S WEDDING; SISTER ACT (Dominion Theatre, Eventim Apollo, UK, Ireland and Australian tours); MY FAIR LADY; PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS (UK tour); THE MOUNTAINTOP (UK tour); THE WIZARD OF OZ (London Palladium, UK and Ireland tour); MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (UK tour); THE LION INSIDE (UK tour); COME FROM AWAY (UK tour); GREASE (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); EVITA; THE OWL WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS (UK tour); AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN THE MUSICAL (UK tour); 42ND STREET (Sadler’s Wells, UK tour and Toronto); WHITE CHRISTMAS (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); RIDE; BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL; BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL (UK tour); THE COLOR PURPLE (UK tour); CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (UK tour); METAMORPHOSIS (UK tour); SUNSET BOULEVARD (UK and Ireland tour); THE JUNGLE BOOK (UK and International tour); THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER; GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE; WEST SIDE STORY; ON YOUR FEET! (London Coliseum and UK tour) and THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13¾ – THE MUSICAL (The Ambassadors Theatre). Streamed productions include THE COLOR PURPLE and SUNSET BOULEVARD.
Curve is supported using public funding by principal funder Arts Council England.
Cast Biographies
Stefan Dennis – Lionel Logue
Stefan is best known for playing Paul Robinson in Neighbours, the longest running drama series in Australian television history. He created the role for the first episode in 1985 and appeared in over 6,000 episodes during the 40 years that the show was on air.
His numerous other TV credits include: Ruxx (HBO MAX),Wentworth (Netflix), Mad as Hell (ABC), Stingers (Nine Network), Good Guys Bad Guys (Nine Network), Blue Heelers (Seven Network), Prisoner (Network Ten), and The Flying Doctors (Nine Network).
During a break from Neighbours, Stefan moved to the UK and appeared in a number of productions including The Bill (ITV), River City (BBC), Casualty (BBC), The Office (Richmond Films), and Dream Team (SKY), as well as various concert performances including a Royal Command Performance. Stefan also starred in the West End musical Blood Brothers which he also directed for a tour of New Zealand.
Other Theatre credits include: Fool for Love, Whose Life is It Anyway?, Point of Death, Murder by Misadventure, and The Anniversary.
Film credits include: Apparitions, The Truth About Love, and Channel Chaos.
In 2025 Stefan was part of the celebrity line-up of Strictly Come Dancing (BBC).
George Rainsford – King George VI
Theatre Credits include: Dear England (National Theatre); Picture You Dead, Wish You Were Dead (Peter James, LGD Productions Ltd); 2:22 A Ghost Story (Runaway Entertainment); Love Love Love (Royal Court Theatre); Carott, Playlist (Latitude Festival); Twisted Tales (Lyric Hammersmith); The Man (Finborough Theatre); Days of Significance (RSC Tour); All’s Well That Ends Well (National Theatre); Miles To Go (Latitude Festival); Polar Bear (Birmingham Rep); Chatroom; Citizenship (National Theatre & Tour); Men Without Shadows (Finborough Theatre); The Three Musketeers (Bristol Old Vic); The 24 Hour Plays (The Old Vic).
Television Credits include: Ludwig Christmas Special (Big Talk Studios/ BBC); Father Brown (BBC); Casualty (BBC); Holby City (BBC); Call The Midwife (Neal Street Productions); Law & Order: UK (Kudos/ ITV); Waking The Dead (BBC); Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Tiger Aspect); Doctors (BBC); Panorama: A Good Kicking (BBC)
Credits include: Bank of Dave 2 (Netflix); The Monkey’s Paw (Aslan Productions); Waiting For Dawn (Brother Brother Films/ Kaos Films); Wild Target (Wild Target Productions); Souvenirs (Ride the Warble).
Rosanna Miles – Queen Elizabeth
Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Theatre Credits include: Judy in Home, I’m Darling (by Laura Wade); Elvira in Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit; Brooke in Noises Off by Michael Frayn; Marion in Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn; Sarah in A Daughter’s A Daughter by Agatha Christie; Cherry in September Tide by Daphne du Maurier; Patty in The Fool by Edward Bond; Esme in Walking the Tightrope by Mike Kenny; Sophie in Murder in Play by Simon Brett and Nancy in Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton. Her numerous premiere productions and readings for stage include Samuel Bailey’s break-out play, Islanders; and Philippa Gregory’s first stage play, Richard, My Richard, at the National Theatre. Rosanna played Fiona in Haywire at The Barn last year, about the creation of The Archers.
TV Credits include: In addition to appearing in such well-loved stage plays, Rosanna is also passionate about new writing, playing Tracy in one of Jed Mercurio’s first TV series, The Grimleys (ITV) and starring as Griff in the fantasy movie trilogy, Warchief(Amazon Prime.)
Rosanna is a global voice actor and her extensive radio-drama career includes Doctor Who, The Avengers, Dracula and The Moomins amongst many others.
Lucy Bromilow – Myrtle Logue / Wallis Simpson
Theatre includes: Glengarry Glen Ross (The Old Vic); Mary Page Marlowe (The Old Vic); The Independent Socialist Republic of the Upper End of the Lower Breck Road (Royal Court, Liverpool); Watch on the Rhine (Donmar Warehouse); Karaoke Play (Bunker Theatre); Anna of the Five Towns (New Vic Theatre)
Television includes: Malpractice, This City is Ours
Tim Hudson – King George V / Winston Churchill
Theatre credits include: Winston Churchill in The Lion and the Unicorn (Crime and Comedy Theatre Company national tour); Boris Johnson in DOM (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh/Theatre Royal, Windsor/The Other Palace Studio/White Bear); Toad in The
Wind in the Willows (Old Vic and No 1 Tour); The Exe Men (Exeter Northcott Theatre); The Mouth of the Gods (Hoxton Hall); Bullie’s House (Riverside Studios); Twelfth Night (Leicester Haymarket Studio/Mauritius); The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing (Guildford Shakespeare Company); By Jeeves (Really Useful Group); Sleuth (Sheringham); Who’s the Daddy? (King’s Head); Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Columbus & The Discovery of Japan, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Virtuoso, The Alchemist, ION (all for the RSC); West Side Story (West End/No 1 Tour); The Importance of Being Earnest (Worcester Swan); Richard III (Ludlow Festival); Sir Thomas More (Shaw Theatre); The Forsyte Saga (Salisbury Playhouse).
He has also been Dame, Ugly Sister, Baron and Villain in 24 pantomimes.
Ian Kirkby – Archbishop Cosmo Lang
Training: RADA
Theatre Credits include: Dear England (National Theatre tour); What The Butler Saw, The Duchess of Malfi; Richard III; The Provoked Wife; A Streetcar Named Desire; The Crucible; The Recruiting Officer; The Caretaker; Dancing At Lughnasa; Arsenic and Old Lace; Saturday Night Sunday Morning; Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC & West End); Peaches (Royal Court); No Way Out; The Long and the Short and the Tall and The Darling Buds of May. More recently he played Lewis Mumford in a new David Hare play Straight Line Crazy alongside Ralph Fiennes at The Bridge Theatre in London and Sergeant Rough in Gaslight both in Harrogate and Eastbourne.
Television credits include: Casualty; Coronation Street; Shine On Harvey Moon; Uncle Max; Nuzzle and Scratch; The Toys That Built America; Charity Shop Sue and ex-footballing Geordie pundit, Terry McIlroy, in Channel 4’s Pete vs Life.
Ian also created and portrayed the characters of Frank Burgess, the strict disciplinarian prison officer in several series of The Slammer and the no nonsense Geordie copper Harry Batt for whom he co-wrote a one off comedy for BBC1.
Mark Hammersley – David / King Edward VIII / Stanley Baldwin
Theatre credits include: The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui (RSC); Ballet Shoes (National Theatre); Kyoto (Soho Place); Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Phoenix Theatre – original cast); A Little Life (Harold Pinter, Savoy Theatre); The Doctor (Duke of York’s Theatre); The Totalitarians (English Theatre Frankfurt); Kill Shakespeare (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Comedy About a Bank Robbery (Criterion Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville Theatre); The Last Confession (Los Angeles, Toronto, Australia); Backbeat (Duke of York’s Theatre, Toronto, LA); Pygmalion (Garrick Theatre); The Shawshank Redemption (Wyndham’s Theatre) and Blood Brothers (UK Tour).
Creative Team Biographies
DAVID SEIDLER
A Londoner by birth, David Seidler was sent to the USA as a young child during WWII, to which he attributed his developing a stammer. George VI, the reluctant, stuttering King, became a boyhood hero, role model, and many years later the inspiration for his stage play, The King’s Speech. The 2010 film version – starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter – earned David an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and went on to win four Oscars (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor), two BAFTAs, the Humanitas Prize, and numerous other awards. His stage version has toured England and the United States, played the West End, and has been produced around the world in nine foreign languages, and counting. Seidler’s writing career commenced with dubbing translation scripts for Godzilla The Monster. In Hollywood, he had over twenty screenwriting credits to his name, including Tucker: The Man and His Dream, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. David was nominated for Writing Achievement by the WGA three times (winning for Onassis: The Richest Man In The World). David lectured around the world, in locations including Milan, Rome, Porto, A.F.I. Los Angeles, Sundance, Dreamago Institute in Switzerland, and Laboratorio Novas Historias in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He lived for several years in Fiji, where he was Political Advisor to Chief Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. He also resided in New Zealand for eight years. His son, Marc, is a film and television editor. His daughter, Maya, is a documentary producer. David Seidler passed away in 2024 while on a fly fishing trip to his beloved New Zealand.
LOVEDAY INGRAM
Loveday Ingram is a theatre director and adapter whose career includes productions in the West End, for the RSC, regionally throughout the UK and internationally. Her productions have won Irish Times and UK Theatre Awards and been nominated for others including four Olivier awards and TMA awards. She was previously Associate Director at Chichester Festival Theatre. Her recent productions include major UK tours of The Girl on the Train and Little Women.
THE BARN CIRENCESTER
Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, The Barn Theatre in Cirencester is one of the UK’s most exciting destinations for great British theatre. Since opening in 2018, The Barn has rapidly established itself as a bold, ambitious producing house, creating world-class professional theatre that resonates far beyond its Cotswold setting. The Barn produces some of the UK’s most inspiring theatre, attracting and nurturing outstanding creative talent, proving that exceptional theatre can thrive outside London. From new writing and reinterpretations of classic works to family entertainment and musical theatre, the programme is broad, daring and consistently high quality.
BUILT BY BARN
Built by Barn is the commercial production arm of Cirencester’s Barn Theatre, developing ambitious shows for audiences across the UK and beyond. From productions born at the Barn to projects developed with writers, artists and partners elsewhere, the ambition is the same: to make theatre unmissable and nights out unforgettable.
Led by Iwan Lewis and Giles Rowland, and supported by the Barn Theatre team, the company combines creative ambition with commercial expertise. Together, they have produced more than 100 productions across the UK and internationally.
As the Barn’s Artistic Director, Iwan has overseen a diverse and ambitious programme since its launch, helping to reshape what a modern regional producing theatre can be and how its economic model works. Giles brings a formidable producing track record across the West End, UK touring and international theatre, taking projects from concept to stage and building partnerships that give productions a life beyond their first run.
That approach has taken I’m Sorry, Prime Minister to the West End’s Apollo Theatre and Friends The Parody Musical on a successful UK tour.
Projects for 2027 include Million Dollar Quartet in the West End and on UK tour, and Inventing Ambridge on UK tour, with more to be announced imminently.
TINY GIANT ENTERTAINMENT
Tiny Giant Entertainment is an award-winning theatre production company founded in 2020 by Producer and General Manager Ollie Hancock and Legal CEO Charles Severs.
Established to create ambitious, world-class theatre, Tiny Giant develops and produces work that leaves a lasting impact long after the curtain falls. Its name and ethos are rooted in the belief that the most extraordinary things often begin from a single spark and are brought to life through passion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to telling unforgettable stories. That philosophy sits at the heart of every production and every partnership it builds.
Ollie previously worked as a General Manager and Producer on over 25 productions within the West End, Off-West End, regionally and internationally and is a proud member of Stage One and The League of Independent Producers.
Charles Severs is a legal CEO in the City of London with a love of music and musical theatre. He is an avid theatregoer and producer of music events. Most recently Charles co-produced the London premiere of Flowers for Mrs Harris and co-founded The Big City Swing Orchestra which last performed in Haymarket in 2023.
Recent credits include: The Hunger Games on Stage (Troubadour Canary Wharf); A Knight’s Tale (Manchester Opera House); Birdsong (UK Tour); Room 13 (Barn Theatre) Friends! The Musical Parody (UK Tour); Flowers for Mrs Harris (Riverside Studios, WhatsOnStage Award 2023 Best Off-West End Production); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (UK Tour) and Halls (Turbine Theatre).
Tiny Giant Entertainment also regularly co-produces and invests in other work. Recent investments include Midsummer Murders (UK Tour) and Back to the Future the Musical (Australia, International Tour and UK Tour).