Inside “The Ashes of Aquitaine” at Lakeside Community Theatre with the North Texans who wrote it.

An original play by two North Texans heads to the Lakeside Community Theatre stage in “The Ashes of Aquitaine” by Rusty Harding and Leigh Wyatt Moore, running through December 21. The show promises both drama and laughter in its fictional telling of the final days of King Henry II of England as he appeals to his estranged and previously imprisoned wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, for assistance in arranging peace between his kingdom and his rebelling son, Richard the Lionheart.

The creative process for the show dates back to 2017, after Moore played Queen Eleanor in an Allen Contemporary Theatre production of “The Lion in Winter.” Moore says she “fell in love with the characters” and approached Harding, a fellow actor as well as an author and playwright, with the idea of continuing to explore the lives of the historical figures in a new production. Harding came up with the concept to center the show on the tumultuous end to Henry’s life, albeit with a focus on Eleanor’s story. “She has the first word and the last word,” Moore says.

Harding emphasizes that “The Ashes of Aquitaine” is not a sequel to “The Lion in Winter.” Instead, it’s formed from the desire to create a new cohesive vision based around these historical figures. “We tried to incorporate as much historical accuracy as we could,” Harding says. While the play incorporates fictional elements like Eleanor’s release from prison, he says it also explores the “tremendously interesting backstories” of figures like Eleanor’s sister and Henry’s mistresses.

The play debuted in Ennis at Theatre Rocks! last year after winning the organization’s National Playwright Competition in 2022. Now, the play heads to Lakeside Community Theatre under the direction of Robyn Mead for its second run.

This time, Moore herself will play the role of Eleanor. She explains that her primary contributions to the play’s script, beyond the initial spark of inspiration, involved creating dialog and exchanges between Eleanor and Henry. Harding adds that they wrote the dialog “in such a way that it would sound historical” without sacrificing accessibility for the audience. “It’s very conversational,” Moore says, noting that several actors have approached her to praise that element of the play.

Both Moore and Harding praise the talents of the cast assembled at Lakeside for the production. The rehearsal process for the production has led to the play itself evolving as different cast members have come up with their own suggestions and takes on the characters, which Moore then passes along to Harding.

Likewise, Moore says she has “truly enjoyed” having the opportunity to explore the dynamics between Henry and Eleanor from inside a production of the play she helped create. She stars opposite Robert San Juan as Henry, who she praises for his “brilliant” and captivating acting. “He’s just so much fun to work with,” Moore says, explaining how her co-star experiments and digs into different elements of the show during rehearsals.

Moore and Harding hope the end result of the production is an entertaining show that brings a wow factor to Lakeside Community Theatre audiences and creates a buzz in the theater community. Moore says, “the greatest form of praise is telling other people,” as both she and Harding hope the play continues to entertain more and more audiences.

“The Ashes of Aquitaine” runs through December 21 at Lakeside Community Theatre in The Colony. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit https://www.lctthecolony.com/.

These interviews were edited for clarity.