friday news September 28,1984 OF HUTT’S SIR THOMAS MORE... Honesty that leaves us longing | A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS is such a strongly written piéce of theatre that actors simply stan- ding on stage reading the lines would still leave an impact on an audience. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you give the role of Sir Thomas More to William Hutt, and surround him with a solid cast, you will have created strong theatre well worth seeing. A MAN FOR ALL Seasons is a strong, well-written play that depicts the struggle between honesty, and the avoidance of it as an ‘easy out’. Sharing friendship and hospitality, the Duke of Norfolk, played by Terence Kelly, above left, waits for a glass of wine from his good friend Sir Thomas More, portrayed by William Hutt. : “ Large selection of hand crafted garage doors to suit any home Commercial door sales and service as well ‘The ‘Clear Cut Choice" . Ey —=cANDOOR— . 140 LID. NOW LOCATED ON THE NORTH SHORE _ | PH. 988-6204 By ANDY FRASER Though only 25 years old, the play, by Robert Bolt, is considered a _ classic that points out, for all ages, the struggle between simple honesty as we perceive it, and the most often accepted ‘easy way out’. It was the basic honesty of Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of England, that Henry VIII needed, and des- perately wanted, to legitamize his reformation move, to divorce Catherine has now joined the Total Look invites and team, all his friends and clients to visit him there. *“SUNBED SPECIAL only for the month of Oct. NAILS & ESTHETICIAN Services also available ‘hoot! LICe a) KA 753 Park Royal N West Vancouver 922-4124 of Aragon and to marry Anne Boleyn, yet it was that same honesty-that left Henry no option but to have More beheaded because of his re- fusal to publicly acknowl- edge the monarch’s ‘rights’. The spare, yet effective setting provides a framework for a production, which, on opening night, left the theatregoer feeling he had witnessed a strong, solid ef- fort, but which still lacked the crackle, or spark that seemed to be missing in the inter-play between the char- acters. A probiem which will hopefully iron itself out in the run which goes to Oc- tober 20. William Hutt’s gentle por- trayal of More proves that acting need not be posturing, grimacing, nor filled with huge gestures. His superbly crafted sensitive delivery creates a character that can- not fail to leave the audience hoping, or wishing, that they could be as More, rather than the Common Man, delightfully played by Simon Webb. Linking together with the scenes the cynical hard shell of the common man who always manages to while playing survive, the (at 10th Ave } North Vancouver West Vane Guver £ Plus up to 55 days interest free and exclusive accidental life insurance at no charge 4 VANCOUVER BRANCHES 800 West Pender Street 2634 Granville Street 4452 Lonsdale (at 15th 1645 Manne Drive Guaranty, part of More’s servant and a number of smaller bits, Webb’s “strongest point of the production comes: when he tells the audience that he nearly was trapped into stay- ing with More when all were turning against him. His off hand cynicism, of- fset by the longing in his voice is truly that of the common man who takes the easy path while deep down he longs for the strength to do the opposite. Terrence Kelly, as the Duke of Norfolk and friend of Thomas More, is charm- ingly simple and straightforward while Peter Haworth as Thomas Cromwell eagerly pursues More, slowly realizing that while destroying the Chancellor, he is also destroying himself. More’s hard tongued wife Lady Alice, played by Sheila Moore and her daughter Margaret, portrayed by Mer- rilyn Gann, add strength to the production. At three hours, A Man For All Seasons makes for a long evening, but is worth the time. Directed by Walter Learn- ing, the production is at the Queen Elizabeth Playhouse. 681-0151 736-6595 St das. 7487 922-0158 Trust AI ANADA “It’s easy to switch, at the branch nearest you.”