A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt that first premiered in London in 1960 before moving to Broadway for a year and being made into an Academy Award-winning film.

So, in the more than 60 years it’s been around, it’s had a chance to build up a dedicated following — which is why Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre was so full even though I arrived a good 45 minutes before kick-off.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about this play but, from what I could gather from the heavy wooden furniture on stage and the deep mood lighting, I assumed I was in for a trip back to Tudor times.

And I was right! The show follows the final years of Sir Thomas More, a 16th century Lord Chancellor who refused to recognise Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon or Henry’s position as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.

I know it sounds dark but, honestly, it’s funnier than you think.

I’m the first to admit I’m no history buff, and my genuine concern was that I’d not be able to follow the story. However, the play is clever in this respect. While it’s telling a historic story filled with political struggles, trust, betrayal, tests of conscience and battles of wit, it speaks to a universal theme of “what you would do if you were asked to do something you thought was wrong?”

As a further leg-up for people like me, there’s a narrator who weaves himself in and out of the story. He speaks directly to the audience (even at one point offering a “bless you” to a sneeze in the front row) and gives us time to process what we’ve just seen before the show moves on.

For this tour, the narrator is played by Gary Wilmot, who you might know from his time as the Wizard in Wicked or on the panto circuit.

Now, let’s talk about the Martin Shaw-shaped elephant in the room. A well-known face from stage, screen and television, he’s known for things like Inspector George Gently and Judge John Deed, but he’s got a list as long as your arm of theatre credits and, from his first lines in the play, his experience is obvious.

As Sir Thomas More he is steady, sure and unfaltering. He’s got such a wonderful presence on stage that when he delivers his lines quietly, the audience holds their breath so they don’t miss a single word.

Martin Shaw is supported by a cast of quality actors who bring to life familiar characters like Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. There’s scene after scene of brilliantly delivered, witty dialogue that plays out the unravelling of a proud and determined man.

A special mention has to go to Henry VIII, who is in the play for a very brief but absolutely stunning period. He’s Henry like I’ve never seen him before. He’s playful, youthful and really into his music. He gracefully moves around the stage, laughing and charming the audience. When you put him next to the calm and commanding Sir Thomas More it shows why the two men struggle to find common ground.

There’s no shying away from the Tudoresque feel of the play. It’s not a modern adaptation that’s updated the script or has a character dressed in jeans and a t-shirt to show he is a “common man”. It’s stuck true to the times. But all the same, it’s relatable and relevant to today because humans and their emotions really haven’t changed that much since the 16th century.

No spoilers here, but the end of the play brings you back to reality with a thud.

For something that ends in darkness, the final words brought laughter to the audience, which was surprising but very welcome.

I left the auditorium with a sense that I’d just seen some quality theatre, and for the first time ever I felt confident I could pass my history GCSEs.