Lion in Winter

Lion in Winter: Written by James Godman. This highly-acclaimed play, later adapted by Goldman to the 1968 Academy Award winning movie, depicts the personal and political tensions between Henry II, his wife Eleanor or Aquitaine and their three sons, Richard, Geoffrey and John. It is Christmas, 1183, and Richard is holding court in his Chinon castle. A man of incredible power and control is looking to the future, judging each of his sons as a potential future successor. Eleanor, whom he has imprisoned for the past ten years, returns to Chinon along with an honored guest, Philip II of France. Philip's half-sister Alais, betrothed to Richard, has been living at Chinon and been taken as Henry's mistress. It quickly becomes clear that Eleanor supports Richard as successor while Henry seems set on John. Geoffrey, ignored by his parents, conspires with Philip to become King. In the midst of this noxious background, Eleanor and Henry, with expert if cruel gamesmanship, work to destroy each other through their children.

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