The Lion in Winter

1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.

This was something different for me to see this time, Lichfield Players certainly have a diverse repertoire and The Lion in Winter showed me an alternative side to them as a society. This was a play with little humour, although what there was, was well extracted by cast members so that the audience did not miss it. The plot is certainly intense, and the cast had to be on top form to convey every emotion to the audience.

Nigel Lowe, as King Henry II, convinced me of everything he was going through, the estranged wife (or was she?) the young mistress who was supposed to be marrying his son, and 3 sons who all wanted to be the next king. He had a presence on stage and I’m sure that some of the audience could actually sympathise with him! Niamh Mahon is someone I have seen before and she never fails to deliver, her portrayal of Queen Eleanor was on point and a perfect foil for Nigel’s Henry. Stefan Dufaye and Steve Male,  were equally convincing as 2 of Henry’s sons, Richard and Geoffrey. They both had very clear diction and Stefan’s grumpy character Richard certainly worked. They were joined by Harry Shepherd as John, the third son. This was Harry’s first appearance with Lichfield Players, but he seemed so comfortable on stage with great mannerisms to convince the audience of his character. Becki Constable was another debutant, she played Alais with an aura and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of Becki in future productions. The cast was completed by James Williams, a third member making his debut with the Players. His portrayal of the young King Philip was commanding and stood no nonsense from the more senior King Henry.

The set was simple but conveyed the idea of a royal palace and all props and furniture looked authentic. A lot of research had obviously gone in to making sure costumes resembled the period of the drama and were very effective.

David Titley had managed the cast very well as Director, everyone was confident with their movement and actions and the whole play was well delivered. It was a very enjoyable evening, thank you.

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