THE Lion in winter

by James Goldman 

Directed by Bill Hamer

Produced by Mariela Menghini

Christmas 1183: An aging and conniving King Henry II is celebrating Christmas in Chinon where he hopes to name his successor. He summons the following people for the holiday: his scheming but imprisoned wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine; his mistress, Princess Alais, whom he wishes to marry; his three sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John, all of whom desire the throne; and the young, but crafty, King Philip of France (who is also Alais' brother). With the fate of Henry's empire at stake, everybody engages in his or her own brand of deception and treachery to stake his or her claim.

CAST

(in order of appearance)

Henry II – Joe Yapp

Alais Capet – Laurentine Rumolino

John – Mikey Mondejar

Geoffrey – Marnitz van Deventer

Richard the Lionheart – Jake Clifford 

Eleanor of Aquitaine – Louise Denyer

Philip Capet – Zachary Zemmels

Show dates: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd March 2026

Urban Teatro

Calle Emilio Ferrari 33, Madrid

“The Lion in Winter” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

  • Tickets will be available here as of 9th February.

  • The Lion in Winter is a 1966 play depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on March 3, 1966, starring Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris, who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Eleanor. It was adapted by Goldman into an Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, starring Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. The play has been produced numerous times, including Broadway and West End revivals.

    The Lion in Winter film was a critical and commercial success, winning three Academy Awards (including Hepburn's win for Best Actress, making her the first three-time winner in the category). A television remake of the film was released in 2003.

  • James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter, honored with an Academy Award for the screen adaptation of his own play The Lion in Winter. He is also the author of the screenplays for Robin and Marion, Nicholas and Alexandra, and White Nights; and the book for Stephen Sondheim's stage musical Follies. Mr. Goldman was born in Chicago and was a graduate of the University of Chicago before beginning postgraduate work at Columbia University in music criticism until he was drafted into the army during World War II. In 1961 his whimsical play They Might Be Giants, about a man who believes he is Sherlock Holmes and is attended by a psychiatrist named Dr. Watson, was produced by Joan Littlewood in London and 10 years later was turned into a film starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward and directed by Anthony Harvey, who also directed the 1968 film version of A Lion in Winter. Mr. Goldman's first play on Broadway was a comedy about life in the army, Blood, Sweat, and Stanley Poole (1961), written with his brother William. Other work for the stage includes A Family Affair, a collaboration with John Kander, starring Shelley Berman; Evening Primrose (1966), his second collaboration with Mr. Sondheim; Oliver Twist (1982), Anna Karenina (1985), Anatasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986), and Tolstoy (1996). Mr. Goldman's novels include The Man from Greek and Roman (1974), Myself as Witness (1980), and Fulton County (1989).

    Source: www.concordtheatricals.com