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NORTH AMERICAN
PREMIERE

The King's Speech

September 12

October 20, 2019

The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare

by David Seidler
directed by Michael Wilson

Harry Hadden-Paton offers a very lovely performance—vulnerable, likable and eminently believable.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Highly Recommended… This cast is dynamite!

AROUND THE TOWN

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Harry Hadden-Paton and James FrainIn this remarkable true story from Oscar Award-winning writer David Seidler, Great Britain’s reluctant monarch finds a surprising ally in an unexpected place. A generation before the royal family we know today, Queen Elizabeth’s father George VI would ascend the throne, a most unlikely king thrust into the spotlight after his brother David gives up the crown to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson. Struggling with a chronic stammer, Bertie (as his family knew him) must speak to his nation as it stands on the brink of World War II. Enter an unconventional speech therapist named Lionel Logue, whose methods are anything but common. With Logue’s help Bertie finds his voice, and forever changes the course of history. Portraying these two extraordinary men are Harry Hadden-Paton (Broadway’s My Fair Lady, Downton Abbey, The Crown) and James Frain (The Tudors, True Blood, The White Queen), who lead a stellar cast that brings Seidler’s drama to life on stage—as he first imagined it—in this not-to-be missed North American Premiere.

 

WATCH & LISTEN

Video: “It’s so relatable”

Gallery: The King's Speech

Video: Preview the North American Premiere

 

More to Explore

Critical Acclaim

"Full of heart and honesty, it has a little something for everyone…carries this historical tale immediately into today," says Picture This Post.
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Playgoer’s Guide

A brief introduction to the story of The King’s Speech, including the historical origins, royal family ties, and the influence of new media.
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A Note from the Director

Michael Wilson shares his insight into this remarkable true story, and the unique point in history during which it is set.
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The Players

Creative Team

David Seidler Playwright

Michael Wilson Director

Kevin Depinet Scenic Designer

David C. Woolard Costume Designer

Howell Binkley Lighting Designer

Hana Kim Projection Designer

John Gromada Original Music & Sound Designer

Richard Jarvie Wig & Make-up Designer

Jane Lanier Choreographer

Kate DeVore Dialect Coach

Christopher Baker Dramaturg

Hannah Wolff Associate Director

Bob Mason Casting

Billy Hopkins & Ashley Ingram New York Casting

Jinni Pike Production Stage Manager

Amanda Landis Assistant Stage Manager

Cast

Harry Hadden-Paton Bertie (Prince Albert, Duke of York)

James Frain Lionel Logue

Jeff Diebold Royal Herald / Royal Footman

Kevin Gudahl Winston Churchill

John Judd George V

Elizabeth Ledo Myrtle Logue

David Lively Stanley Baldwin

Alan Mandell Cosmo Lang

Tim Monsion BBC News Reader / Royal Footman

Rebecca Night Elizabeth (Duchess of York)

Jeff Parker David (Prince of Wales)

Tiffany Scott Wallis Simpson

Chad Patterson Royal Footman

Trevor Strahan Royal Footman

Harry Belden Understudy

Tony Dobrowolski Understudy

Michelle Jasso Understudy

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