Newmarket Journal Thursday March 27 1969
A Man for All Seasons presented last week by Soham
Grammar School was a well dressed production
The costumes were one of the feature of a very successful
show - Journal photo: cutting via Mrs Armitage
First class 'Man for All Seasons' at Soham
A splendid production of Robert Bolt's "A Man for All Seasons" was given on four evenings last week. The long and exacting part of Sir Thomas More was well sustained by Roger Clements and no praise can be too high for his performance. He was on stage for practically the whole of the play and the feat of memory in learning the long part was a notable one. His prosecutor in the person of Thomas Cromwell (another exacting role) was Mark Wilson who also revealed hitherto undiscovered dramatic ability, pursuing Sir Thomas through sustained legal argument with relentless mounting force.
A neat but rich performance as King Henry VIII was given by Robert Tyler and Colin Giles brought life and colour to the part of the treacherous Rich, as also did Peter Leonard to the part of the Duke of Norfolk. An amusing touch here was the scorn Peter (himself the son of a butcher) managed to convey when speaking derisively of Wolsey as an upstart butcher's son; and Colin Giles (the son of a schoolmaster) had the equally amusing task of speaking derisively of teaching.
Smaller but vital parts were ably rendered by Frank Gamble as Cardinal Wolsey, Peter Easy as the Spanish Ambassador and Anthony Willenbruch as Will Roper. Whenever these were on the stage the audience was sure of natural, easy acting.
The many scenes of the play were linked by the part of the Common Man in which Peter Jaggard showed natural ability in all his nine or ten small parts, the various costumes of which he assumed on stage in full view of the audience, while delivering the linking narrative.
Other parts were ably played by Duncan McFarlane (Lady Alice More), David Bryan and Kenneth Hunter who played the part of Margaret More on alternate nights, John Harding (Archbishop Cranmer), Trevor Blake and David Norman.
A particular and pleasing, feature of all the performances was the diction of the young actors, the dialogue being clear and audible throughout.
THE CASTThe cast was as follows: Common Man. Peter Jaggard; |
 Soham play rehearsal Pupils at Soham Grammar School are rehearsing Robert Bolt's play "A Man for All Seasons". It will be staged at the school on four evenings, March 18-21, at 7.30pm. The play ahs been made into an award winning film and is about Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII: Journal photo: Newmarket Journal Thursday March 6, 1969 |
Lords and Ladies, RC Mitchell, JLD Evison, AM Motley, AT Murkin, PE Stearman, CD Chapman, PRE Edwards, RP Heavens, AK Spalding, DE Scott, RM Hill, G Snuggs, EJ Kisby, AL Mitchell, KI Fraser, SH Oakey, PR Gregson, SJ Glover, JAS Fox, P Taylor.
Musicians, TM Stannard, SJ Yeomans, AJ Steel, MR Allen, RJ Matthews, RT Norris, JEJ Lancaster.
Also concerned with the production were:
Costumes Mr AJ Askem
set, made by Mr RGS Bozeat, DJ Crow and members of the Fifth
Form, painted by PJ Padget, AP Oakey, T Everitt
Properties Miss GM Pierpoint, Mr LR Hart
stage manager Mr RJ Humphrey
crew AN Baldrey, RJ Hart, AR Bell
lighting Mr RJH Makin, NV Grainger, MA Brogan, CR Maschke, HD
Wilderspin
prompter JA Saul
make-up Mrs MF Chapman, Mrs MA Cornell, Mr AG Cornell, PN
Goodfellow, AJ Lewis, FE Gamble, AB Hills, JR Harding
music directed by Mr MJ Peake
business manager Mr GH Rees
Soham Grammarian Summer 1969
The report was the same as above, but omitting the last sentence and the cast list etc.
If you have photographs or a
programme for this production, please contact the editor
last update 24 Nov 2007