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Lucian Msamati (LutherGame of ThronesNT Live: The Comedy of Errors) plays Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s iconic play, broadcast live from the National Theatre, and with live orchestral accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a rowdy young prodigy, arrives in Vienna, the music capital of the world – and he’s determined to make a splash. Awestruck by his genius, court composer Antonio Salieri has the power to promote his talent or destroy his name. Seized by obsessive jealousy he begins a war with Mozart, with music, and ultimately, with God.

After winning multiple Olivier and Tony Awards when it had its premiere at the National Theatre in 1979, Amadeus was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film.

 

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“Peter Shaffer, whose death in June [2016] is marked by this revival of his most popular play, once wrote that he hoped Amadeus would “enjoy a vigorous life in many differing productions”. His wish is certainly granted by Michael Longhurst’s production which turns it into an epic piece of music-theatre. It comes complete with 16 actors, six singers and the 20-strong Southbank Sinfonia and, while occasionally overblown, it reminds us of Shaffer’s talent for creating memorable theatrical spectacles.
What is startling about Longhurst’s production is that the band is fully integrated into the dramatic action. As Lucian Msamati’s Salieri strikes a bargain with God to live a virtuous life in exchange for fame, the onstage orchestra bow their heads in silent prayer. At other times, the players are more mutinous: when Salieri proudly refers to his opera, The Stolen Bucket, they disdain his plea to offer an excerpt. The singers are also, literally, to the fore: an adored Viennese soprano (lustrously sung by Fleur de Bray) is wheeled in on a portable dais and key moments from the operas of Salieri’s detested rival, Mozart, are played in full pomp downstage.”–Michael Billington, The Guardian