Written by Mancunian Robert Bolt in 1954, ‘A Man For All Seasons’, directed by Jonathan Church, follows the trials and tribulations of Sir Thomas More, chancellor for King Henry VIII, as his unshakeable moral compass prevented him from signing an ‘Oath of Supremacy’.
This ‘Oath of Supremacy’ granted Henry VIII as Supreme Leader of the Church and Clergy, as he sought to cut ties with the Church of Rome, so that he could divorce his first wife, Catherine Parr.
As the play began we were introduced to The Common Man, played by Paul Kemp, who carried us through the performance as a sort of narrator within the action. When the other characters then entered, he helpfully gave each a sort of introduction. As someone who did not know the historical context of the play too well, I found this to be a thoughtful touch.
The Common Man’s narration equally provided the audience with a reason to laugh, echoing an element of Shakespeare, by using witty and playful comedy to warm up the room within an otherwise very serious play.
Something that immediately caught my eye was the detail and beauty of Simon Higlett’s costume designs. The intricacy of the pieces paired with the very dynamic set – which we saw used as a courtroom, a garden and a prison brought the history out of the books and before our eyes, alive as ever.
While the set and costumes perfectly set the superficial scene, Mark Henderson’s lighting designs worked to underpin the less obvious tones of the play. His use of shadowy corners and carefully angled spotlights pointed to the more brooding and devious undertones of the play, which became clearer as the production progressed.
These quieter tensions were further accentuated by the stellar acting that was on display throughout the whole performance. While all the cast shone, I believe that Martin Shaw playing Sir Thomas More, Grace Molony as Margaret More and Peter Losasso portraying Richard Rich gave stand out performances.
Praise for the cast seemed unanimous throughout the audience. One theatre goer described the acting as “sensational”, with another adding that “Martin Shaw played a brilliant role.”
Despite the immersive design elements and compelling performances, throughout the first act I could not help but feel like something was missing.
One audience member put it perfectly “I hope something happens in Act Two”. And it did.
Following the intermission, there was much more tension and a darker atmosphere, fulfilling the audience’s hopes of a climax in the action.
“I thought the second half was better than the first”, said one spectator.
One thing I did not expect from this performance were tears. And yet, there I found myself struggling to fight the lump in my throat as Sir Thomas More, his wife Alice More (wonderfully portrayed by Polly Kemp) and Margaret More said their goodbyes. The emotion of the moment truly caught me off guard, and I doubt I was the only one without dry eyes in the room.
As the play drew to a close, it felt as though the audience were invited into the play as spectators in the court, with The Common Man’s use of direct address making it feel like our judgment on the trial of Sir Thomas More was almost requested.
From start to finish the play brought us along with the action, pushing us to question our own position between inner conscience and state power.
‘A Man For All Seasons’ is at The Lowry until Saturday with tickets still available. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch this brilliantly introspective performance. You can book tickets here.
