The Lion in Winter

It is Christmas 1183, and the royal family has gathered for the holidays. But at the court of King Henry II, Christmas is less about peace and goodwill and more about power, betrayal and deciding who will inherit the throne.

Henry is determined to secure the future of his kingdom, but his estranged wife, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine, has very different ideas. Their three surviving sons — Richard, Geoffrey and John — each believe the crown should be theirs, and each is prepared to scheme, bargain and betray to get it. Add a young King of France, a disputed marriage and years of simmering family resentment, and the festivities soon become a deliciously dangerous battle of wills.

James Goldman’s *The Lion in Winter* is a wickedly funny, fiercely intelligent portrait of one of history’s most extraordinary families. Behind the political manoeuvring is something much more recognisable: parents and children who love one another, hurt one another, and know exactly which buttons to press.

Sharp, passionate and packed with biting humour, *The Lion in Winter* turns a medieval struggle for the English crown into a gloriously dysfunctional family Christmas — with considerably higher stakes.

This production is brought to you by the senior members of Woking Youth Theatre who are age appropriate for the roles and include WYT creative director Bruce Hazelton as Henry and established local actor-director Karen Brooks as Eleanor.

The Buzz Theatre is located at the top of Victoria Place Shopping Centre adjacent to the theatre box office.