King John
It’s too bad, because Shakespeare’s title character is a rich subject for exploration. King John was the nefarious, inept youngest son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane (known most vividly to us as Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn in the film version of The Lion in Winter). His brothers included Richard the Lion-Hearted, against whom he intrigued for years with all the acumen and success that Wile E. Coyote brings to his intrigues against Road Runner. John finally assumed the crown after Richard’s death in 1199–despite the fact that his prepubescent nephew, Arthur, had first dibs–and held on to it for 17 years, during which he accomplished a great deal of good almost entirely by accident. The signal example of John’s unintentional statesmanship–or failed villainy–was of course the Magna Carta, which came into being as a reaction against his despotism.
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Much more effective than her 21st-century bells and whistles and sirens is Gaines’s energetic pursuit of Shakespeare’s wit. A scene in which two armies stop fighting each other long enough to team up against a defenseless town makes for great satire, and Gaines exploits it well. She also finds good uses for Timothy Edward Kane, who, with his Colin Farrell-ish looks, neon energy, and excellent timing, makes a sharp, hilarious bastard.
