Rush & Firth Will Not Follow THE KING'S SPEECH to Broadway

As Whatsonstage.com first suggested and reported by BroadwayWorld last month. The King's Speech, currently out in theaters starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, will be getting a stage adaptation in London. According to the report: "Speaking to the New York Times at the recent Screen Actors Guild Awards, the film's writer David Seidler - who is nominated for a best original screenplay Oscar - said: 'It will be on the West End of London in the fall, and Adrian Noble is directing it.'"

The project began as a play, having initially received a reading at London's Pleasance Theatre. No additional details about a potential West End run, including casting possibilites have been suggested.

Todayonline reports today, however, that the show's film stars will not be following the piece to Broadway.  According to the report: "Producer Michael Alden said Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush would not reprise their roles as the stammering Duke of York and the speech therapist who treats and befriends him. Firth won an Oscar and Rush was nominated for best supporting actor."

Say Rush of his decision not to take part in the play: "I know David Seidler would like me to do the play...I have to keep myself alert and diversified. I'm getting older and I have to be open to other possibilities."

To read the full report on Todayonline.com, click here.

The King's Speech is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. The film won the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award.
The film stars Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue, a speech therapist who helped George VI overcome a stammer. The film's script includes real quotations from the diaries and notes of Logue, which were discovered just nine weeks before photography began and quickly incorporated. Filming commenced in the United Kingdom in November 2009. The film was given a limited release in the United States on 26 November 2010 before being generally released on 10 December 2010 and it was given general release in the UK on 7 January 2011. The King's Speech received 12 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Actor (Firth), Director (Hooper) and Original Screenplay (Seidler), Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter) and Supporting Actor (Rush).

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos