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Iconic play 'Man for all Seasons' comes to Duncan Mercury

Robert Bolt's iconic play, A Man for All Seasons, opens at the Mercury Theatre Thursday, March 16.
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Mahalia Benty (Lady Margaret) and Alex Gallacher (Sir Thomas More) rehearse a scene from ‘A Man for All Seasons’.

A special theatrical event is on the way.

Robert Bolt's iconic play, A Man for All Seasons, opens at the Mercury Theatre Thursday, March 16.

This joint production between the Mercury Players and the Shawnigan Players means more access to all kinds of resources, said director Breann Landry in an interview following a rehearsal Sunday, March 5.

"We'd never done a play with both groups before and I was kind of debating which group to do it with because I've worked with both of them before. And [actor/director] Marinus [Vesseur], I think, suggested doing it as a joint production. It's pretty good for the community and for fun so we decided to try it," she said.

"It's a big name play and this gives us more resources and more people to try out for it, too. It's a guy-heavy play and neither group had a lot of guys so it worked out well."

It's not her first directional rodeo but this production is special for Landry.

"I directed a whole bunch of plays in high school but they were just for family and friends. This is my first play for a public audience and it's a legendary story."

She's especially delighted with her A Man for All Seasons cast.

"I feel very privileged to work with them. At the first reading we had, I was just blown away by what amazing people came out and tried out for this thing. They sure seemed to be excited about it."

She says the audience will appreciate how emotional the show is.

"Sure, it's a political play but it's so much more about the characters and their emotions and relationships and I think people will really relate to the characters' needs and why they act the way they do. I feel it's a very relatable play, she said.

Historically, A Man for All Seasons is set in a harsh age, she said.

The production is contained on the stage for the most part but "the actors will come down into the audience to talk with the audience right on the floor and a couple of the actors will join the audience at different points. I think that interaction will be pretty cool.

"Also, we're having it on a black box stage, with minimal props. So, it's really the actors who stand out, which is my ideal of what theatre should be. It's all about the acting and I think with this cast and this production, that is what they are going to see," she said.

The show runs March 16-19 and again March 22-25. All performances start at 7:30 p.m. except a matinee scheduled for Sunday, March 19.

Tickets are $20 for adults, and $15 for seniors and students. Get them at Ten Old Books or First Chiropractic in Duncan, Beachology in Cowichan Bay, Mason's in Shawnigan Lake or call 250-510-1746 or buy them online at www.Eventbrite.ca