The play "The Lioness of Aquitaine": actors and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

“The Lioness of Aquitaine” is a performance by the Lenkom Theatre, the premiere of which the audience could see in October 2011. He is still a success and causes a storm of conflicting emotions.

Lion in Winter

This is the name of the play by James Goldman, a playwright from the USA, on the basis of which the play "Lenkom" was staged. In the 60s, she successfully walked in the theaters of Broadway.

The play "The Lion in Winter" is a drama dedicated to the clash of seemingly close people who put their own ambitions above family values.

It takes place in the distant 12th century in the family of the English king Henry II Plantagenet, more precisely, in his castle of Shenon, where the royal family gathered.

The aging monarch, having decided to announce the official heir, summoned adult sons to the castle and even returned his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine from prison, whom he himself sent into exile. Alienora - a personality no less outstanding than her imperious and cruel husband - was considered one of the brightest stars among the famous women of the Middle Ages and was a great master of weaving intricate intrigues.

The head of the family is confident in his abilities and is not afraid ofthe intrigues of enemies, nor the machinations of Satan, nor God's wrath. No one but his own wife, whom the people called the Lioness of Aquitaine.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the young king of France Philip seeks to start a war. To weaken Heinrich, he wants to pit the princes, as well as enlist the support of his sister Alice. A girl at the age of 8 was sent to Britain as the bride of the English Dauphin. However, the aged Henry, who sent his wife into exile, made the young princess his mistress. This situation does not suit Alice at all, who, however, is not going to play by the rules of her half-brother.

Screen adaptations of the play by James Goldman

Two films were made based on the play "The Lion in Winter". In 1968, English director Anthony Harvey made a historical drama starring Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. In 1969, this film received an Oscar in several categories at once:

• for Best Actress - Katharine Hepburn;
• for the best music - John Barry;
• Best Screenplay - James Goldman.

In 2003, the play "The Lion in Winter" was filmed by director Andrei Konchalovsky. Eleanor was played by Glenn Close and Henry II by Patrick Stewart. In addition, this picture made it possible for foreign viewers to get acquainted with the game of Yulia Vysotskaya, who acted as a French princess.

Thus, the plot of the play is quite well-known, not only to lovers of theatrical art, but also to the average viewer.

A lioness worthy of a lion

BThe repertoire of "Lenkom" has many productions stylized as a particular historical era. The play "The Lioness of Aquitaine" also belongs to them. It was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the actress Inna Mikhailovna Churikova, which is probably why the name of the play was changed.

The film director Gleb Panfilov, who was invited to the production, shifted the accents somewhat in order to show the image of Eleanor of Aquitaine more vividly and more fully. Thus, an outstanding, strong woman appears before the viewer, selflessly protecting her children, but not wanting to know their thoughts. A woman who, at the age of sixty, loves and desires her king so much that, horrified by this passion, she covers her love with hate.

Heinrich in Lenkom style

However, the bright image of the frantic Aquitaine lioness did not overshadow her husband. The king in the performance continues to be a key figure - the lion and the lioness deserve each other.

Conceived as a benefit performance, the play "The Lioness of Aquitaine" ("Lenkom") is not perceived as such. This is really a drama of two outstanding personalities, whose love-hate gave birth to monster children. And the cubs turned out to be scarier and more dangerous than their crowned parents.

Thinking differently, Gleb Panfilov did not change the plot of the play, although some scenes disappeared from it, and the French King Philip became a minor character.

Features of the production

There are many controversial moments in the play, which have become the subject of criticism. So, the production, stylized as the Middle Ages, nevertheless aboundsinnovations, sometimes quite dubious. In the play "The Lioness of Aquitaine" there are both nudity and bed scenes, and in general the "bed theme" sounds often. But this is not always justified by the plot.

Live medieval music, delighting the audience and organically perceived in the context of historical drama, is replaced from time to time by rap with dubious lyrics and profanity.

In some scenes, the action turns into a grotesque, and even trash. Gesticulation and intonation become exaggerated, and the crowned couple, exchanging kicks and slaps, is bewildering.

At the same time, as you know, actors make any performance, and they are talented and magnificent in this production.

"The Lioness of Aquitaine": actors

Inna Churikova in the role of Eleanor of Aquitaine is truly majestic and, as the audience notes, resembles the grown-up Joan of Arc. But Dmitry Pevtsov, who played the role of Heinrich Plantagenet, is in no way inferior to the famous actress. Moreover, many critics and journalists emphasize that he not only coped well with his tragic role, but was also very convincing and made the viewer believe in the reality of his hero.

The young actors of Lenkom play the sons of Heinrich and Eleanor: the strong and domineering Richard - Sergei Piotrovsky; cunning, dodgy and cynical Jeffery - Dmitry Gizbrecht, and weak John - Igor Konyakhin.

Alexandra Volkova plays a role in the playFrench Princess Ellis, and the role of King Philip was played by Anton Sorokin.

"The Lioness of Aquitaine": reviews

The audience's impressions of the performance are quite contradictory. In particular, among the reviews you can find both enthusiastic and frankly negative. Moreover, almost without exception, the audience likes the game of Dmitry Pevtsov and his stage skills. Even those who openly resent the director's "innovations" speak enthusiastically about him. As for the performance of Inna Mikhailovna Churikova in the play "The Lioness of Aquitaine", the audience and journalists are more restrained in their statements. At the same time, they note that the actress, as always, is at her best, and the wife of Henry II in her performance is really regal and unusually feminine, despite her age.

When you are in Moscow, be sure to visit the Lenkom Theatre. "The Lioness of Aquitaine" is one of the relatively new but popular performances of this theater. You will be able to enjoy the performance of your favorite actors, and if you have seen one or even both adaptations, compare their images with the works of world movie stars Glenn Close, Katharine Hepburn, Patrick Stewart and Peter O'Toole.