King’s Speech Tours England in Preparation for West End

“The King’s Speech,” the film that picked up the 2010 Academy Award for Best Picture, has been adapted into a play that currently is touring England and will likely transfer to West End in the near future.

David Seidler, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, originally wrote the piece for the stage, but later rewrote it as a screenplay. Seidler turned the film adaptation back into a play for this touring version. Though no West End theater has yet been announced, numerous media outlets reports that it is almost inevitable that the production will end up in London.

Though nothing official has been announced, there also are rumors that the play may eventually head for Broadway, as well. The Los Angeles Times points out that the film version was distributed in the U.S. by Harvey Weinstein, and that the play “could be a hot property” for the producer.

The play is directed by Adrian Noble, the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company who is now the head of the annual Shakespeare Festival that takes place at the Old Globe in San Diego. Playful productions and Michael Aden are the producers.

King George VI is played by Charles Edwards, and Dr. Lionel Logue is played by Johnathan Hyde. Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth played these parts in the film version.

Like the film before it, the play explores the relationship between King George VI worked with speech therapist Lionel Logue to overcome his debilitating stammer. Reviews of the play thus far have been generally positive, with more than one reviewer suggesting the play would likely have a successful West End Run.

In addition to four Academy Awards, the film version also won seven BAFTA awards, which also included Best Picture. The film grossed more than $400 million around the world.