Review: Kuninkaan puhe

Carl-Kristian Rundman shone in The King’s speech


The Helsinki City Theatre’s historical drama The King’s Speech premiered on Thursday.

Long-time actor Carl-Kristian Rundman plays the main character of the play, a stuttering king who wants to get rid of his ailment.

Rundman performed the challenging role excellently. She has received support for her role from the Finnish Stutterers’ Association.

Rundman’s co-star is Pertti Sveholm, who plays a self-taught speech therapist. Sveholm also succeeds in his role wonderfully, and the two act together seamlessly.

The King’s Speech, performed on the theatre’s large stage in extensive sets, is based on the true story of King George VI. It tells the story of the monarch’s struggle to overcome stuttering and find his own voice.

The film based on the story was awarded four Oscars in 2011. It received awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, among others.

Before yesterday’s premiere, more than 70% of the tickets for the Helsinki City Theatre’s play had been sold, which means about 17,000 tickets.

Because it is a spoken word play, the sales figure is excellent, according to the theatre.

Performances of the play will continue next autumn. Autumn tickets will go on sale during March.

The play about friendship and perseverance is directed by Kari Heiskanen.