Ahead of a UK tour, the new Theatre Royal Bath Productions revival of Robert Bolt’s award-winning A Man For All Seasons, directed and co-produced by Jonathan Church (artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre for ten years) opened at Theatre Royal Bath last night to a warm reception; every inch a quality production, from the elaborate Tudor set and costume designs by Simon Higlett, to the experienced cast led by Martin Shaw. Besides history lovers, readers of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy charting the rise and fall of Henry VIII’s right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell, will be familiar with Sir Thomas More’s tragic history, and much of A Man For All Seasons does indeed feel like an episode of the equally popular BBC adaptation.
First performed in London in 1960, A Man For All Seasons may well have inspired Mantel in her quest to re-examine Henry VIII’s controversial first marriage, for the play not only went on to enjoy a successful Broadway run, but was made into a 1966 feature film directed by Fred Zinnemann. The film scooped 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Paul Scofield who starred as Sir Thomas More, along with Best Adapted Screenplay for Robert Bolt, already established as one of the most talented screenwriters in the industry after the international glory of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965).
Director Jonathan Church has certainly captured Bolt’s ability to offer audiences a more human glimpse at key historical moments, something which Martin Shaw, who last worked with Church on the acclaimed West End production of Hobson’s Choice, never fails to convey. A far more appealing version of the devout and sober scholar we imagined from our schooldays, Shaw’s Sir Thomas More is a generous and kind-hearted master, appointed Lord Chancellor of England following the death of Cardinal Wolsey (Nicholas Day), but deeply conflicted when Henry VIII (Orlando James) will stop at nothing to dissolve his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, “As barren as a brick”, in order to remarry Anne Boleyn and produce the son and heir that will secure the continuation of the Tudor dynasty. Gary Wilmot as ‘The Common Man’ meanwhile lightens the tone throughout; introducing us to the players in a gossipy manner and adding much humour to his various minor roles, from More’s disloyal servant to boatman and gaoler.
While the defiant More’s star wanes with his conditional support of the king and his tailoring of the Bible to suit himself, Cromwell’s meteoric rise continues as he enables Henry to break from Rome and establish his own church, giving the crown unprecedented power and throwing their European and staunchly Catholic associates considerable confusion, as represented by Signor Chapuys (Asif Khan) and his attendant (Hari Kang). Forcing former Catholics to proclaim their loyalty to the king and the new Church of England with an oath which More refuses to sign, RSC stalwart Edward Bennett is blisteringly intimidating as Cromwell, quick to strip More of the Chancellorship and build a case of treason against his rival with the help of Cromwell’s former friend and yes-man Richard Rich (Calum Finlay), along with a reluctant Duke of Norfolk played by Timothy Watson, who delivers a fine and nuanced performance of a man caught in the crossfire, but ultimately sympathetic to More’s conviction to withstand bullying and threats.
The female members of the cast are equally impressive, with Abigail Cruttenden as More’s equally conflicted wife Alice, who, whilst admiring her husband’s principles, begs him to sign the oath that they might be partially restored to a life of comfort, not to mention personal safety. The Mores’ overnight impoverishment is enough to make most wives bitter, and though we never see any servants other than The Common Man, the warm lighting for cool and chilly, along with the exchange of opulent costumes for those of coarser materials, the bracken collected for their humble fire and an unappetising reference to a dinner of parsnips is enough to illustrate their dramatic change in fortunes.
Despite Alice and their daughter Margaret (Annie Kingsnorth) being made to sign an oath proclaiming that they will visit More in gaol, prior to his ‘trial’ and attempt to persuade him to climb down, the daughter’s compassion and understanding of her father’s conscience embodies the resoundingly moral message of this play – that holding onto one’s integrity is worth any price. Good timing will surely help to secure a deserved West End run, given the questionable ethics of our own politicians, the House of Windsor’s unapologetic changes to the rule book of marriage in recent times, and that it premieres in the same week in which the world watched the first convicted felon elected as President of the United States. This beautifully wrought production magnifies the ever repeating circle of power and destruction and will doubtless prompt many in the audience to muse on the fact that moral men rarely last long in politics.
A Man For All Seasons at Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday 25th January. Running time 2 hours 40 including interval. For tickets please visit the website. Production images by Simon Annand. The production will continue at Chichester, Malvern, Cheltenham, Oxford, Guildford, Canterbury and Richmond.
