PORT ANGELES — At first, Kari Chance said no.
October looked to be crazy busy for Chance, executive director of the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts. Given the opportunity to present “Churchill,” British actor David Payne’s one-man show about Sir Winston Churchill, Chance wasn’t sure there was enough time for the organization to promote it well.
“But my curiosity got the best of me,” she admitted.
“After watching less than a minute of the ‘Churchill’ sizzle reel, I knew the community would be as enthralled as I was. It’s not very often that we have a chance to see a show this captivating from an actor of David’s caliber,” Chance said.
Payne brings his audience straight into the decisive historical moments of Churchill’s life, she added.
In an interview, Payne pronounced Churchill “an orator of considerable power.” The actor, a Londoner born and bred, said he might share some personality traits with Churchill, who was prime minister of Britain from 1940-1945 and 1951-1955.
“I can hold an audience,” said Payne, who, at age 82, has been performing for many decades now.
Payne will take the stage as “Churchill” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St. in Port Angeles.
Information and tickets, $30 for standard and $40 for premium, are at jffa.org.
Payne’s sizzle reel can be found there too.
Payne also is known for his “Evening with C.S. Lewis” play, in which he offers a closeup portrait of the writer known for “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Screwtape Letters,” “Mere Christianity” and other works.
Early in 2020, Payne had a full tour scheduled for that production. In March, the COVID pandemic shut that down, along with countless live performances around the globe.
Payne got to work on a new project. Nine months hence, “Churchill” was born.
The one-man show, in a way, stars two women: Sir Winston’s wife Clementine and young Queen Elizabeth II. Clemmie, aka Baroness Spencer-Churchill, was the prime minister’s close adviser. Elizabeth, just 25 years old when she became queen, formed a lasting friendship with the prime minister.
“As big a personality as he was, he was a man who was vulnerable,” Payne said; he relied on those very important women in his life.
Churchill is known for his accomplishments — from the Boer War to World War II and its aftermath — yet, Payne said, “he was a man who could talk about his failures honestly, a man who will make you laugh with his sense of humor.”
Chance, for her part, delights in bringing a theatrical production to Port Angeles. JFFA is known for its music and dance events, she said.
“I love the idea of bringing a wider variety of performing arts when we have the chance to present these national touring shows,” Chance said. “It’s also given us a chance to partner with Olympic Theatre Arts and Port Angeles Community Players. They are sharing set pieces, time and talent” in the Field Hall production.
Directly after the show, audience members can partake in a talkback with Payne, Olympic Theatre Arts Executive Director David Herbelin and Port Angeles High School history teacher Stacey Sanders.
“Churchill,” which unfolds in two acts, also looks in on Sir Winston’s relationships with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Charlie Chaplin and with one of the most famous authors of his day, Mark Twain. The performance opens with President John F. Kennedy awarding honorary U.S. citizenship to Churchill in April 1963.
Of course, many of the people who attend “are the more mature,” Payne said, “but I do get young people who come along … [Churchill] talks in a way where you can identify with him, if you’re 18 years old or up.”
Churchill was a risk taker — as is Payne. Sometimes he does the show at colleges, where he “doesn’t expect it to be a slam dunk.”
But it does all right, Payne said, using a bit of English understatement.
When asked whether he dramatizes history in the way that series like Netflix’s “The Crown” have, Payne responds quickly.
“My show is based on facts,” gathered through copious research, he said.
“But if I just reeled off facts, they would be walking out at halftime.
“Do I take theatrical license? Yes.”
Prepare yourself, the performer said, for an evening filled with emotion.
“People will be surprised how much they laugh,” Payne said, “and they might be surprised they have tears in their eyes.”
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Diane Urbani de la Paz is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Port Townsend.
