A MAN for all Seasons is one of the great plays and the new production at Malvern Theatres did not disappoint.

Martin Shaw, as lawyer-turned-martyr Sir Tho-mas More, was superb, a fact not lost on the audience, which greeted the end of the play with a thunderous applause.

The beauty of Robert Bolt's play is that it successfully transforms a handful of characters from the history books into real people.

The play shows us the results of Henry VIII's determination to have the approval of society and the church for his marriage to Anne Boleyn, an approval one man finds hard to give.

Thomas More was a troubled man. He never meant to be a martyr. A clever lawyer and shrewd statesman, not a religious fanatic, he did his best to support the king whilst hanging on to his principles. Ultimately, his integrity meant imprisonment and death.

In this production, we understand his wife's anger at his determination to put his principles before his family and we understand those who, for their own safety, do Henry's bidding.

Shaw, one of Britain's most popular actors, was supported by a great cast in a great production of an award-winning play. What more can you ask?

Sue Vickers