A Man For All Seasons
A Man For All Seasons follows Sir Thomas More, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor. A staunch Catholic and man of principle, More refuses to cooperate with the King’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and pays the ultimate price. Robert Bolt’s classic piece paints More as a good, quiet man, who dared to take a silent stand against the King, despite this being his downfall.
Shaw first played this part twenty years ago, and the role is still perfect for him. He has great stage presence and gravitas in the role. As well as the senior man of State, he is an affectionate father and husband. His performance throughout is largely calm yet commanding, and then in the last 20 minutes or so, when the inevitability of his fate catches up with him, is masterful and moving.
Gary Wilmot is extremely entertaining in his numerous roles as The Common Man, all played with tons of charisma and humour. Wilmot’s portrayal is charming, and entertaining. His ‘breaking the fourth wall’ at the end of the interval was a lovely natural touch, done with the houselights up.
Cromwell is very much the King’s enforcer and spy-master. “A jackal with sharp teeth”. “In my silence lies my safety,” says More, but his silence is used against him by Cromwell well played, coldly and methodically by Edward Bennett; prepared to use any means to achieve his, and the King’s, ends.
Abigail Cruttenden and Annie Kingsworth portray Thomas More’s wife and daughter, beautifully. The family’s final meeting in More’s prison cell inside the tower is incredibly moving. Through them, we see the humanity of More’s situation.
Orlando James is wonderful as the arrogant Henry VIII, in a role that can very easily slip into caricature.
Simon Higlett’s set design captures the period perfectly, with its dark plain wood panelled set, with occasional splashes of light and warmth (from the fire or candles or lamps) or colour (predominantly from the Cardinal Wolsey’s scarlet robes, but also from the colours of some of the costumes). The boat scenes were also very beautifully staged and lit.
Robert Bolt’s writing is still fresh, possibly because we remain fascinated by this period of history (Wolf Hall, Six etc). There is plenty of light, as well as shade, for a modern audience, largely because of The Common Man, but also the natural writing.
Jonathan Church’s direction is also beautifully paced. It is at times very calm and subtle, and the audience is brought along with the politics and drama of these historic events.
This production is gripping. It is a beautifully told, well-acted and staged production, and one that adds further layers to a monumental period of our history. It is well worth catching whilst it is on tour.
This show was reviewed on the 18th February 2025 at Oxford Playhouse where it runs until the 22nd February 2025. Tickets available here: A Man for All Seasons | Oxford Playhouse
Review written by Ruth Hawkins
AD/Gifted
Check out other reviews from Curtain Call Reviews and get in touch to have our reviewers head to your show.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.