A Man For All Seaons – In Open Air Theatre

Sligo Drama Circle’s Summer theatre season opens on a highly unusual note this year – for the first time in over twenty years audiences are to be treated to outdoor theatre. The venue for this event will be the Retreat House Gardens alongside the Cathedral car park. These grounds have been recently restored and at the moment are in beautiful condition, thanks to the initiative shown by his Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Conway. A circular permanent platform has been erected in the centre of what is a natural amphi-theatre and the surrounding audience area has been paved to complete the picture.

Nature, of course, has richly endowed these grounds with a great number of beautiful old trees which, linked with the majestic vistas of the two Cathedrals to one side and the gently sloping ground of St. Mary’s on the other, go towards making an extremely delightful yet dramatic setting for almost any serious play. The work the group has chosen to open the season with, “A Man For All Seasons” by Robert Bolt, is perhaps the mot critically acclaimed play written in the last twenty years. It deals with the tribulation and eventual condemnation of one of the most revered prisoners of conscience in history, viz. Sir Thomas Moore, now venerated as a canonised saint of the church.

The play opens against a background of rumblings from the court of Henry VIII who “wants to change his woman” and moves through a maze of intrigue and counter intrigue. Two historic acts of the English Parliament follow – the Act of Succession and the Act of Supremacy, until finally by a combination of political expediency and the activities of corrupt power hungry ministers of state. Moore, the idealist, is confronted with the ultimate choice – sacrifice or compromise of himself.

For Moore, it is no choice, for compromise to him on the matters at issue constitute denial of his own self – his own “I am, therefore I am” and so the play culminates as he enters on a new and higher plain at the block on Tower Hill. At the same time, and parallel with the unfolding of the More epic, the author portrays for us the ironic contrasts that are life, by showing us the machinations and survival of the Common Man in black comic relief.

For this production, the Drama Circle is putting forward one of their strongest teams ever. The part of Moore is being played by Kieran Hickey, a newcomer to Sligo audiences, but as a star of the famous Moate Players, Naas, is certainly no stranger to the stage. Names like Paddy Dooney as Cardinal Woolsey, Walter Mc Donagh as the Spanish Ambassador, Cormac Sheridan as Lord Norfolk, Robert Burnside as Sir Thomas Cromwell, Joan Fitzpatrick as Lady Alice More and Ita Mc Morrow as the saint’s lovely daughter, tell us straight away that the line-up is exciting. Even more exciting is the fact that the smaller roles are filled with the rich talents of John Caheny, Manus Shields, Martin Mc Dermottroe, Ann Mc Dremott and Eamonn Flanagan. In the difficult, multi-faceted role of the Common Man, the group are playing Columb Mc Bride, who made such an impact in the Circle’s 1976 production of “My Three Angels”.

The mammoth undertaking involving a vast logistical exercise in planning and execution, is directed by Liam Mc Kinney whose last production was the eminently successful “Oklahoma” in Summerhill College, and who has gained an excellent reputation as a producer, locally and nationally throughout the 70’s. When asked to comment on the scale of the undertaking, the producer said, “This is of the essence of good theatre which I humbly hope we can provide for the people of Sligo on this most beautiful setting. It proves that Sligo already has its own theatre – all that remains to be done is to put a roof over it – soon”.

“A Man For All Seasons” opens on Sunday June 18th at 9pm (so that viewing of the World Cup series will not be interfered with) and continues each night until Saturday June 24th except Wednesday June 21st. The proceeds are in aid of the Cathedral restoration and the Theatre For Sligo funds, which are indeed two very deserving causes, and it is hoped that Sligo audiences will avail of this unique opportunity to show their support.

from The Sligo Champion, June 9th, 1978