‘The Lion in Winter’ roars at The Barn
AUGUSTA, Mich.–The charm of The Lion in Winter is that it deliciously covers a day in the history of King Henry II of England without resorting the sometimes confusing iambic pentameter of Shakespeare. Don’t get me wrong. The Bard is great. But James Goldman’s script captures the electric energy between this King and his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in thoroughly modern dialogue that makes the story accessible to anyone.
It’s Christmas, 1183, and Henry (Robert Newman) is hosting Eleanor (Kim Zimmer) who has been released from her tower prison for an opportunity to see her three sons and be convinced to sign over her lands. The real plot, though centers on the conflict and intrigue between Henry, Eleanor and their sons over who will succeed the patriarch as King.
The sons are a motley trio. There is Richard The Lionheart (Jamey Grisham), Geoffrey (Jabri Johnson) and John (William Dunn). Richard is the bravest and staunchest of the sons, and he will be difficult to defeat. He wants the crown badly. Jeffrey is cunning, “all gears and wheels” and is the Chancellor-to-be no one envisions as a possible King. John is pimple-faced and witless, and yet he seems to be the son that Henry most wants to assume the position.
Newman has just enough age and gravitas to handle Henry. Zimmer is delicious as the wise-cracking, sarcastic Queen. The two actors have excellent chemistry, which is no wonder as they have acted together before, and co-starred on daytime drama The Guiding Light for many years, and had an on-screen love interest.
The play is about love, ambition, loyalties, sexual ambiguity, revenge–all the good stuff that Shakespeare made his living writing about, though Goldman does just fine at delivering dialogue worthy of Dorothy Parker. John: “ if I was on fire, none of you would pee on me to put out the flames. Richard: “Let’s strike a flint and see.” Grisham turns in a solid Richard, and Dunn hands in some spot-on great moments for the dim-witted Prince.
Henry speaks lovingly of his “Queen out of legend,” but has a mistress, Alais (Audrey Morton), the sister of King Philip of France (Quinn Moran). And even with the “three whiskered things” Henry counts as sons, all plotting to kill him for his crown, he isn’t sure that he doesn’t perhaps need more sons to choose from. After all, a new baby with Alais, wouldn’t start plotting to kill him for at least fifteen or sixteen years.
The play is wonderful, with a terrific script. And despite not having music and singing, is an overall better exprerience, say, than watching Camelot to get your court-action fix. In the hands of the Barn’s summer troupe, it is a delightful as an Ince cream cone on a July night.
If you can, book a table at The Barn’s Shed for after the show. The troupe, those in and not in the show, entertain with cabaret singing.