Everything you need to know about 'Amadeus'

Peter Shaffer's acclaimed play about Salieri and Mozart is returning to the West End, starring Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells.

Summary

• Amadeus is being revived in the West End
• Peter Shaffer's play centres on rival composers Mozart and Salieri
• Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells star in Jeremy Herrin's production
• Amadeus has been adapted into an Oscar-winning movie and a TV series

Peter Shaffer’s extraordinary masterpiece Amadeus is making a spectacular return to the West End, led by a talented pair of Welsh actors: Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells. They will play, respectively, the jealous court composer Salieri and the musical genius Mozart.

Directed by Jeremy Herrin, this major revival at the Noël Coward Theatre features Mozart’s remarkable music alongside this riveting drama about talent, desire, faith, ambition, and a terrible betrayal. Learn all about Amadeus ahead of your trip.

Check back for Amadeus tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is Amadeus about?

Amadeus begins with Salieri, as an old man, confessing to murder. We then flash back to 18th-century Vienna and the court of the Austrian emperor. Italian composer Salieri is deeply resentful when the famed Mozart arrives on the scene: he’s a buffoonish, vulgar young man, yet his music is so remarkable that it seems divinely bestowed.

That creates a crisis for the deeply devout Salieri, who cannot reconcile the seeming contradiction. He pretends to help Mozart, but secretly works behind his back to undermine him, spreading tales about him to destroy his reputation at the court. He also humiliates Mozart’s wife, Constanze. The play ends with Mozart’s death and Salieri facing up to his actions and his place in the world compared with the enduring genius.

Who wrote Amadeus?

Amadeus was written by the acclaimed British playwright and screenwriter Peter Shaffer in 1979 and had its premiere at London’s National Theatre, directed by Peter Hall. Shaffer’s other major works include Equus (now on at the Menier Chocolate Factory), The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Black Comedy, and Lettice and Lovage.

The original London production of Amadeus starred Paul Scofield, Simon Callow, and Felicity Kendal. The show then transferred to Broadway in 1980, starring Ian McKellen, Tim Curry, and Jane Seymour. Amadeus was last seen in London in 2017 at the National Theatre, led by Lucian Msamati and Adam Gillen.

What awards has Amadeus won?

Shaffer won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Amadeus. He then won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his screenplay for the magnificent film version of the play.

The Broadway production also won Tonys for Best Leading Actor in a Play (for Ian McKellen), Best Direction (for Peter Hall), Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design.

Who are the characters in Amadeus?

The characters in Amadeus include:

• Salieri: the esteemed court composer in Vienna whose own work isn’t a patch on Mozart’s trailblazing compositions
• Mozart: the wunderkind musical genius whose immature behaviour is a stark contrast to his remarkable, revolutionary output
• Constanze Weber: Mozart’s sharp-witted fiancée and later wife, who tries to help her husband succeed
• Emperor Joseph II: the rather clueless supreme authority who decides everyone’s fates

Where is Amadeus playing?

The show is playing at the Noël Coward Theatre on St Martin’s Lane, in the heart of London’s West End. The theatre has a seating capacity of 872.

When is Amadeus playing?

Amadeus is booking from 17 April to 7 August 2027. Performances take place from Monday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with matinees on Saturdays at 2:30pm.

How long is Amadeus?

The running time of the show is to be confirmed.

Who is in the cast of Amadeus?

Amadeus stars the enticing pair of Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells. Sheen’s extensive work includes screen projects like Oscar-winning film The Queen, the Twilight movies, and TV series like Masters of Sex, Good Omens, Staged, 30 Rock, and A Very Royal Scandal. On stage, he’s appeared in productions such as Frost/Nixon, Hamlet, Under Milk Wood, and Nye. He has previously played both Mozart and Salieri in Amadeus.

Scott Howells rose to fame thanks to his incredible Bafta-winning performance in TV drama It’s a Sin. His other screen projects include movies The Beautiful Game and Madfabulous, and TV series The Way and Deadpoint. His past theatre productions include She Loves Me, A View from the Bridge, Ghosts, and playing the Emcee in Cabaret.

Who is in the creative team of Amadeus?

Amadeus is directed by Olivier Award winner Jeremy Herrin, whose past work includes People, Places and Things, This House, Wolf Hall, and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The production features design by Olivier and Tony-winning talent: set design by Bunny Christie (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and costume design by Lez Brotherston (Oliver!).

What are some fun facts about Amadeus?

• One of the glorious aspects about the production is that you get to hear Mozart’s sublime music. Listen out for iconic works such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and The Magic Flute, among others.

• Numerous brilliant actors have taken on the lead roles of Salieri and Mozart over the years, succeeding the originators Paul Scofield and Simon Callow, and, on Broadway, Ian McKellen and Tim Curry. They include Frank Langella, David Birney, Peter Firth, David Suchet, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael York, Lucian Msamati, and Adam Gillen.

• Amadeus has been brought to our screens a second time, following the Oscar-winning movie in 1984. In 2025 a new TV version premiered on Sky Atlantic starring Paul Bettany as Salieri, Will Sharpe as Mozart, Gabrielle Creevy as Constanze, and Rory Kinnear as the Emperor.

• There’s a fascinating roll call of actors who wanted to be in the Amadeus movie and didn’t make it. Mark Hamill, who played Mozart on Broadway, wanted to reprise the role, but the director Miloš Forman thought people wouldn’t believe Luke Skywalker as Mozart. Other contenders included Kenneth Branagh, Tim Curry, Mel Gibson, and Mick Jagger.

Main photo credit: Amadeus at the National Theatre (Photo by Marc Brenner). Inset: Amadeus at the National Theatre, Amadeus the movie, Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells (Photos by Marc Brenner, courtesy of the movie, Danny Kaan)