PERHAPS best known today for his television role in Judge John Deed and previously for playing Doyle in The Professionals, actor Martin Shaw showed he is a real star of the stage as well.

Playing the principled Sir Thomas More, who would rather die than accept King Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he brought tremendous insight into the complex character of this distinguished scholar.

Robert Bolt's play is wonderfully crafted and brings across the enormity of the King's decision to break with the Church of Rome and its impact on both the country and one individual man, Sir Thomas More.

I found myself sympathising with More throughout the play as he battled with his conscience but, at the end, really wanted him to succumb if only for the sake of his family.

More's clever wit came across well and a number of one-liners were really funny.

Alison Fiske was superb as the uneducated Lady Alice More who wanted to hold onto her title at all costs but eventually her love for Thomas won through and she accepted her husband's decision to go to his death. Sophie Shaw played Thomas's daughter Margaret and I could also totally sympathise with her loyalty to her father.

The other major players - Brian Poyser as Cardinal Wolsey, Tim Francis as Thomas Cranmer, Daniel Flynn as King Henry VIII, Paul Shelley as The Duke of Norfolk, Clive Kneller as Ambassador Chapuys and Clive Carter as the ruthless Thomas Cromwell - were all splendidly believable in their roles. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with this Cromwell.

Gregory Fox-Murphy as Richard Rich came a close second in the ruthless stakes but More's remark that he had done all this to be Attorney General for Wales was a master-stroke.

A special mention must go to Tony Bell who played numerous roles from manservant right through to juror and executioner and also served as narrator. His well-timed humour brought a lightness to what is a very serious, but very enjoyable, play. AG