The Barn Theatre’s production of The King’s Speech will open its UK tour at Oxford Playhouse in January 2027, with Stefan Dennis as Lionel Logue and George Rainsford as King George VI, following its autumn run in Cirencester.
The production, presented by Cirencester’s Barn Theatre in partnership with Tiny Giant Entertainment, will run at Oxford Playhouse from Wednesday 13 January to Saturday 16 January 2027. It will be the first stop on a tour that will visit theatres across the UK.
Dennis, best known for playing Paul Robinson in Neighbours, will play Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist who helped George VI overcome his stammer. George Rainsford, known for Casualty and Dear England, will play Bertie, King George VI.
The production is directed by Loveday Ingram, whose theatre work has included productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, West End and theatres across the UK.
David Seidler’s stage play centres on the relationship between the future king and Logue as Britain approaches the Second World War. Bertie must overcome a debilitating stammer before delivering a crucial radio address to the nation, while an unexpected friendship develops between the two men.
The play was adapted by Seidler from his own screenplay for the 2010 film The King’s Speech, which starred Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.
The new production will first be staged at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester from 09 October to 07 November 2026 before travelling to Oxford.
At Oxford Playhouse, performances are scheduled for 7.30pm from Wednesday 13 to Friday 15 January, with performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 16 January. The production has an age guidance of 12+.
Following its Oxford engagement, the tour will continue to venues including Coventry, Cheltenham, Theatr Clwyd, Darlington, Blackpool, Bath, Guildford, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Windsor, Eastbourne, Leicester, Salisbury, Winchester, Northampton, Cambridge, Liverpool and Malvern.
The production forms part of Oxford Playhouse’s 2027 programme, with the theatre describing the engagement as the opening of the national tour.
Tickets for the Oxford performances are available through Oxford Playhouse.
