In a year of regal celebrations, Frinton Summer Theatre’s 2023 season opens with a unique production of The King’s Speech. This heart-warming and incredible story of how King George VI overcame his fear of public speaking to address the nation is a fitting opening show in this the year of the coronation of King Charles III.
The King’s Speech is the first in a series of six shows to be performed at The McGrigor Hall Theatre in Frinton-on-Sea this summer, beginning on 11th July and running through until 19th August.
Way back in the 1970s, playwright David Seidler came across the remarkable story of how unorthodox speech therapist (and frustrated actor) Lionel Logue, ended up coaching King George VI to overcome his acute fear of public speaking.
At the heart of the play is the extraordinary relationship between the stammering Bertie and the therapeutic Lionel (played by Alan Cox, son of Succession star Brian Cox) – both men in an humane and often witty battle to overcome the Royal’s self-doubt.
Seidler persuaded Lionel’s son to let him tell the story, but in the end, he had to obey the Queen Mother’s wishes and withhold the story until after her death. As a result, it wasn’t until 2005 that Seidler started working on the story as a film, which went on to star Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush and subsequently won many awards.
This charming story of friendship and frustration was later turned into a stage play, thrilling audiences during a very successful West End run.
From 11th to 15th July, Frinton Summer Theatre is proud to be able to present The King’s Speech for the first time as part of its McGrigor Hall programme. The King’s Speech is followed by performances of Barefoot in the Park, Folk, The Ladykillers, Bette & Joan and Don’t Dress for Dinner, each enjoying a five-day run.
And there is so much more! The 2023 Frinton Summer Theatre season is complemented by a Comedy Night on Saturday 8th July at the Hall and two Music Nights on Sunday 16th July and Sunday 13th August at the Frinton Lawn Tennis Club.
All evening performances are at 7:30pm, with matinee performances at 2:30pm, and ticket prices range from £20 to £25 for evening shows and from £18 to £23 for matinees, with a 10% discount if you book every show in The McGrigor Hall season.
Tickets go on Priority Sale for members of the Friends of Frinton Summer Theatre from Tuesday 4th April at 10am before going on General Sale from Tuesday 11th April at 10am. Group discounts are also available for bookings of more than 30 people.
Frinton Summer Theatre’s artistic director, Clive Brill, said: “Once again Frinton will be welcoming a talented legion of performers and technicians to our Summer Theatre season. More often than not, the names you will hear about in the future start their careers in our beautiful town by the sea. We have a fabulous line up of plays and events this year and we can’t wait to see you there.”
To book tickets, visit the Main Box Office at 60 Connaught Avenue or The Little Yellow Hut at The McGrigor Hall. You can also call 01255 775727 or email [email protected]. Tickets can also be purchased from www.frintonsummertheatre.org, with all the pricing discounts added automatically.
