The Detroit News, August 28, 2004
Stellar production is worthy of Shakespearean center stage
By: Lawrence B. Johnson
It isn�t hard to see why Shakespeare�s "King John" falls outside the circle of his most treasured and frequently performed plays. This convoluted tale of covetousness, duplicity, compromise and betrayal � the human face painted in warts and shadows � demands a large cast of strong actors and a director who can keep the story�s loosely woven threads intact.
Hats off, then, to the Stratford Festival of Canada, which brings the cream of its considerable talent to bear on a "King John" that�s not to be missed.
While the Bard freely muddled the historical elements surrounding King John�s reign (1199-1216), his setting is essentially this: Upon the death of Richard I (known as "Lion Heart"), his brother John (made infamous in the Robin Hood legend) has claimed the throne of England. But now his right to the crown stands challenged by King Philip of France and other supporters of John�s adolescent nephew, Arthur.
And to make matters worse, John, a Catholic, has rebuffed a papal appointment to the Church in England. But if John is embattled, he�s also belligerent and takes the field first in any fight. Yet, he�s also disposed � at the steady urging of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine � to bargain and sell (land, loyalties, whatever) to stay in power.
Observing all of this is Richard I�s illegitimate son Philip, an exuberant and witty fellow who progressively gets swallowed up in the tawdry politics. Philip throws himself into John�s service only to see his own innocence and optimism fall with the king�s sinking fortunes.
In the end, everyone seems to have lost, and indeed only divine intervention � a storm that terminates an invasion by the French � saves mother England. This is one dark play, but as beguiling in its sardonic tone as it is seductive in its language. The impact of Stratford�s stellar production owes much to director Antoni Cimolino�s clean, taut staging. But what a troupe he has to work with, first of all Jonathan Goad�s expansive and yet sharply focused portrayal of Philip the Bastard. Then there�s Stephen Ouimette�s impetuous, seamy, troubled King John. And as his mother Eleanor, Martha Henry cuts a potent figure, savvy, goading, proud.
As her opposite, Constance, the raging mother of the child-pawn Arthur, Diane D�Aquila offers a vivid portrait of a woman buffeted by political sea changes beyond her control. Peter Donaldson as the King of France and Bernard Hopkins as Cardinal Pandulph add more luster to a work worthy of center stage, not the wings, in the Shakespeare canon.