20 September – 2 November
One of the great assets of a writer is to be able to find a subject that, whilst personal and intimate in itself, is yet the fulcrum, mirror or metaphor of and for great events. Returning to its roots after the great success of the film of the same name, David Seidler’s play is such a subject, being set during a time of momentous importance for British and world history. The abdication of Edward VIII – the first such in English history – the succession of his brother, Bertie the future George VI and the looming war in Europe all happen around the intelligent but cripplingly diffident (at least in public) king-in-waiting, whose dread of public office and responsibility is fed by his uncontrollable stutter which leeches into his public and private life and thus prevents him from fulfilling his full potential.
Australians all seem to have their forelocks removed at birth and hence have nothing to tug. Having set himself up as a speech therapist (unqualified) in prestigious Harley Street, failed actor, Lionel Logue, is consequently immune to the subservient and deferential protocols that surround the royal family. His dogged refusal to undertake any treatment of Bertie other than on a man-to-man basis, as equals without separation by class is thus, the play suggests, in no small measure a part of the salvation of the king at least as far as his debilitating affliction is concerned. Bertie, whilst king and emperor is nonetheless everyman in his struggle to overcome personal trials.
Churchill, Baldwin and the Archbishop of Canterbury all chip in to add some light relief with wit and a measure of scurrilous gossip. Wallace Simpson is portrayed as something of a trollop whilst the nascent power of the media is reflected in the euthanizing of the dying King George V in order to control the release of the news in time for the Times and BBC to announce it.
Director, Emma Butler, uses the restrictions of a relatively small stage to advantage and makes the transitions from scene to scene and place to pace smooth and seamless, handling the various battles of will with humour and sensitivity. Peter Sandys-Clarke as Bertie is clear in his depiction of the man’s inner struggles; the intelligence and sense of duty thwarted by the childhood affliction that could have led to a constitutional crisis. Similarly, Arthur Hughes makes Logue a man of sensitivity and tenacity.
This is an excellent production, with a superb cast that brings out the humanity that often lies behind epoch defining historical events.
★★★★☆ Graham Wyles, 28 September 2024
Photo credit: Alex Brenner
