Acclaimed Australian actor Geoffrey Rush has denied allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” stemming from his time working on Sydney Theatre Company’s production of King Lear, which ran from November 2015 to January 2016.

The Daily Telegraph reported this morning (in an article that appears to have been removed from the newspaper’s website) that the actor – well known for his award-winning role as pianist David Helfgott in the 1996 film Shine and more recently as speech therapist Lionel Logue in the 2010 film The King’s Speech – was the subject of a complaint received by Sydney Theatre Company.

“Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint alleging that Mr Geoffrey Rush had engaged in inappropriate behaviour,” an STC spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. “The Company received the complaint when Mr Rush’s engagement with the Company had ended. The Company continues to work with the complainant to minimise the risk of future instances of the alleged behaviour occurring in its workplace.”

“The complainant has requested that their identity be withheld,” the spokesperson said. “STC respects that request and for privacy reasons, will not be making any further comments.”

Rush has denied the allegations, his lawyers from HWL Ebsworth describing them as “false and untrue”.

“Mr Rush has not...