Having not seen either a staged version of The Lion in Winter or the 1968 film adaptation (for which Katherine Hepburn won her third Oscar), I had no idea what to expect. Something straightforwardly (melo)dramatic, maybe? In any case, I was surprised to find myself watching what I imagine Oscar Wilde might have done if he’d tried his hand at Greek tragedy set on his home soil.
Whether that sounds appealing to you is a fair barometer of whether you’ll like this play, because nothing about Long Beach Playhouse’s straightforward rendering fails to serve that aesthetic…nor, if you find Wildesque banter cloying, to rise above it.
Wily Henry II (Noah Wagner) has pulled together the beginnings of what will come to be the British Empire, but he’s worried about its staying power after his death (he’s 50 at a time when life expectancy is 30something). And with good reason: his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Amanda Karr), has already spent a decade in prison for leading a failed coup; his ambitious sons (Giovanni Navarro, Trevor Hart, and CJ Switzer) are likely to fight each other for power no matter whom Henry names as successor; and France’s young king, Philip II (J. Henrik Nielsen), is biding his time, looking to exploit any weakness in order to retake lost lands. Because it’s Christmastime, Eleanor has been allowed at court, where she mixes with her children, Henry’s mistress (Lauren Velasco), and the visiting Philip, a convocation that sets the stage for the repartee of cunning that comprises almost the totality of the play’s action. Plots are hatched and discovered, pacts made and betrayed, verbal attacks and ripostes come hard and fast. But hey, “What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?”
There are quotation marks around that line because it’s actually from the play. It’s the most famous bit, along with, “Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It’s 1183 and we’re barbarians!” This sardonic, postmodernist tone is what makes The Lion in Winter stand apart from typical historical drama — for better or worse, depending on taste.
Whether or not this sits well on your palate, the cast generally does well with it. I can’t say I found The Lion in Winter as clever as playwright James Goldman intends it to be (which is not the same as saying it’s not clever), but not because anyone onstage failed to properly sell his material. In the meatiest roles, Wagner (doing fine work in this town for many a year) and Karr (clearly reminiscent of Hepburn, which ain’t too shabby) stand out. And while everyone is solid in Act One, after intermission is where they really show their stuff.
Director James Rice’s handiwork is unobtrusive; it may be the perfect pacing that most bears his stamp. Scenically, while the chessboard motif on the floor is a bit on the nose (however nice it looks), the throne looming above the proceedings and lit up red in-between scenes is an apt touch.
You wouldn’t have to love The Lion in Winter to appreciate its uniqueness and smarts. But if you did love it, you’d be far from the first. Long Beach Playhouse’s staging is certainly good enough to give you a chance to find out whether you’re joining that club.
The Lion in Winter at Long Beach Playhouse
Times: Fri–Sat 8:00 p.m., Sun 2:00 p.m.
The show runs through June 13.
Cost: $27–$36
Details: (562) 494-1014; LBplayhouse.org
Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach