When Less is More

(This review was commissioned by Mumbai Theater Guide; and appeared on their website http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/ in April 2012.)

“A Man for All Seasons”
Written by Robert Bolt.
Directed by Arjun Sajnani.
Nehru Centre, 22 April 2012.

Robert Bolt’s “A Man for all Seasons” is a morality play in the strictest sense of the term. Its basic premise is the clash between principle and pragmatism; a conflict as old as the ages and one that is as contemporary today as it was in 16th century England, in which the play is set.

Its hero is Sir Thomas More, Chancellor to King Henry the Eighth, who was forced to choose between compliance with his sovereign’s wishes and adherence to his own moral code and conscience. His inability to betray his soul, his “self”, ultimately cost him his head.

An adjunct to this was his utter faith in the law. He believed that, by sticking fastidiously to the letter of it, he couldnt be touched; and used the ploy of remaining totally silent when asked why he wouldn’t swear allegiance to the Act of Succession, which would give the King absolute power over the Church as well as the State; an Act that most of his peers acquiesced to, out of fear or desire for advancement. Ironically, he was sent to his death on account of perjury by a witness during his trial.

The script, written in language filled with wit and wisdom, views this battle of wills between the individual and the State through the eyes of the Common Man, who addresses the audience directly and enacts several roles through its course, changing costumes and arranging props as required. This Brechtian device brings a further dynamic into play, contrasting the matter of spiritual versus temporal authority, and Sir Thomas’ personal conflict therein, with the everyday needs of a common person who may or may not have the luxury (or awareness) of principles; but must do as best he can to make ends meet.

Arjun Sajnani’s production has, to its credit, a Spartan economy which is in keeping with the script’s uncompromising arguments. The overall style is generally naturalistic and understated; moments of uncalled-for melodrama or bombast, few and far between. If one were to sum it up in a word, it would be “conventional”….which is preferable to deliberate attention-seeking. But its blandness exacts a price: the play rarely “lifts off”, remaining bound to the stage-boards.

A large, grey, open-plan set, with a drawbridge-like staircase, is used to convey many locales, illustrated by a few simple props and add-ons. The mise-en-scène is simple, elegant and effective, with one especially magical moment: a moonlit boatride across a river shrouded in mist.

The costumes seem to be well-researched and authentic to the period; but there are many oddities in fit and finish, which just dont look right. The original music-score (with a nod or two in the direction of some Baroque pieces) is also effective and economical….though it could do without the syrupy, tear-jerking violin obbligato at the beginning and end of More’s prison-meeting with his family.

The cast, on the whole, do justice to their roles though most are somewhat two-dimensionally interpreted. Naval Narielwala’s cameo as King Henry stands out in his able depiction of this mercurial monarch, although he looks older than Henry was at the time. Ashish Sen’s Duke of Norfolk takes a while to establish character but, once there, is articulate and expressive. Nakul Bhalla as Richard Rich, the man who finally betrays Sir Thomas, goes the other way, beginning with a nicely-pointed urgency which dwindles into a kind of sullen monotony by the play’s end. Susan George has a lovely voice and presence as More’s daughter Margaret; and Vivek Madan all but steals the show as the Common Man, enlivening the proceedings with fresh charm and agility in his many avatars.

The one major disappointment is Aporup Acharya, who plays More’s nemesis, Cromwell. This seems to be a case of miscasting, since he lacks the right physicality and also the range to convey the motivations and layers in this truly dangerous, formidable antagonist.

The play’s protagonist is, of course, Sir Thomas More; and, as interpreted by Ashok Mandanna, he comes across as somewhat….pedantic. Certainly, punctiliousness is a major facet in the man’s character; but one is left with the distinct feeling there is so much (pardon the pun) more, which is only hinted-at, rarely glimpsed in its complex human entirety. Consequently, one’s involvement with his predicament remains equally aloof and limited.

In sum, this production of “A Man for All Seasons” is a fairly accomplished, faithful, even-handed rendition of a classic play….even if it doesnt quite achieve theatrical incandescence. As such, it is a worthy effort to keep a tradition alive, in a theatre too keen to jettison the beauty of language and ideas, in favour of cheap, dumbed-down show-business.