The year is 1183 and Henry II, King of England, is headed to one of his castles for a family Christmas like no other. You see, Henry has yet to name an heir; and his estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as his three sons – Richard, Geoffrey, and John – have their own ideas on who should succeed Henry. Plots are hatched; alliances are made, broken, and then re-made again – and that’s just Christmas Eve. At the center of all the plotting is the battle of wits between Henry and Eleanor. These two towering paragons – both brilliant in their own way – were once in love, but now Henry keeps his Queen locked away and trots her out for these “special” family occasions. The war of words that flows back and forth between them can be humorous one instant and absolutely vicious the next. The play itself moves at a breakneck pace, and will keep the audience thoroughly entertained with all of its twists, turns, and razor-sharp dialogue – as a king fights to preserve his legacy.

This is Monish Bhattacharyya’s debut as a director for AP. He has appeared in AP shows The Snow Ball, The Foreigner, and Dangerous Liaisons. Other on-stage credits include Dial M For Murder (Lancaster Regional Players), Ten Little Indians (Four Seasons), and Out Of Order (Towne Players). He enjoys theatre because he can “work with creative and energetic people who have a common storytelling goal.” We welcome him to this new AP role.