The People Speak on HISTORY

Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Noel Clarke and Keira Knightley are just some of the British A-listers joining Colin Firth for The People Speak, a specially shot for TV collection of poems, letters, songs and speeches highlighting significant moments in our history.

The documentary film will air on HISTORY later this month and follows a similar film made by HISTORY’s US channel featuring Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.

The UK version was filmed last month at The Prince of Wales Theatre and includes performances by Omid Djalili, Colin Salmon, Rupert Everett and Juliet Stevenson.

Speaking about the project Colin Firth said: “To me THE PEOPLE SPEAK is the perfect response to the abject misery of my history class as a school by. Considering the immense riches that history offers us in terms of the best and worst of human behaviour – corruption, sexual deviation, rebellion, struggles for power – none of that made it into my history lessons.

“There is absolutely no reason why history should be dry and I’m delighted to be working with HISTORY on an initiative that takes history beyond the classroom; democratising our own legacy and providing a unique voice that resonates as much today as it did when it was first spoken.”

9PM, October 31st on HISTORY