'The Lion in Winter' roars

Few families in the theatrical cannon are more compelling than the feuding royals at the center of "The Lion in Winter," James Goldman's delicious depiction of domestic discord inspired by the contentious dynasty that occupied England's throne from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

Goldman's 1966 play --in a brilliantly fortifying revival directed by Rick Snyder for Writers' Theatre -- centers around the succession of King Henry II (an electric Michael Canavan effortlessly channeling Henry's swagger and bluster), who's determined to dictate his inheritor and his legacy. His decision sparks conflict among his estranged wife Eleanor (the regal Shannon Cochran, flawless as the formidable queen) and his disaffected sons, all of whom have reluctantly reunited for Christmas at his French palace (a rustic but striking Medieval castle by set designer Jack Magaw, whose autumnal lighting by J.R. Lederle nicely reflects Henry's wintry discontent).

Scant holiday spirit infuses these cagey characters, whose duplicity, betrayals, manipulations and infidelities make Tracy Letts' dysfunctional Westons of "August: Osage County" look like the adoring Norwegians in John Van Druten's "I Remember Mama."

The play unfolds as an exercise in gamesmanship with each character going to dramatic lengths to advance his or her own interests. Alliances are formed and severed. Plots are hatched and abandoned in an arch, contemporary drama that is about more than a quest for power. "The Lion in Winter" is about a wife and children pursuing the love of a husband and father who has rejected them. And how that rejection turns from affection to antipathy.

It's an engaging, intuitively directed show. Snyder subtly escalates tension and he doesn't punctuate the obvious, placing the emphasis not on the clever barb, but on the pointed observation that follows.

Besides Canavan and Cochran, Writers' superb cast includes Lea Coco, coiled and evocative as lion-hearted Richard, the eldest son, "constant soldier and sometime poet," whose scars aren't all from the battlefield. The astute, observant Christopher McLinden plays neglected middle son Geoffrey, who cunningly plays all sides to his advantage, and the terrifically petulant Robert Belushi is dim-witted John, the youngest and the brat who would be king.

Rounding out the cast is Laura Coover, who plays Henry's young mistress Alais (a girl more savvy than she appears) with nicely tempered willfulness, and the smug, self-assured Michael Fagin making a noteworthy professional debut as her brother, King Philip of France, Henry's able teenage adversary who may be more suited to Henry's throne than his own sons.

"The Lion in Winter"

4 stars out of four

Location: Writers' Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday; through Aug. 3

Running Time: About 2 hours, 10 minutes with intermission

Tickets: $40-$65

Box office: (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org

Rating: For high schoolers and older

Christmas with the Plantagenets doesn't make for a very merry Yuletide.