Review
Published: Wednesday 01 July, 2009 by Philip Horton, Bath Chronicle
Next Stage raise the bar again at The Mission with a brilliant pre-Minack Theatre run of Peter Schaffer's Amadeus.
An old Salieri opens the play, relating directly to the audience how he poisoned Mozart, perhaps. He tells us it's about "The Death of Mozart," or "Did I Do It ?"
Whilst in awe of the young Mozart's compositions he finds the coarse, juvenile behaviour at odds with Mozart's genius and blames God for giving this astonishing ability to a delinquent oaf.
Thus the jealous, scheming Salieri pretends to be the young Mozart's patron whilst plotting his downfall, exclaiming, "That was Mozart. That! That giggling dirty-minded creature I had just seen, crawling on the floor!"
Mozart is aware of his personality, asking the Austrian Emperor, "Forgive me, Majesty. I am a vulgar man! But I assure you, my music is not," but he is incapable of conforming or seeing anything other than his own ideas.
John Matthews is the perfect Salieri and never slips, although on stage for virtually the whole performance, acting as the young and old Salieri.
As the immature and vulgar, giggling Mozart Tom Ash-Miles is equally convincing as are the whole cast, all beautifully coiffed and costumed.
Not an easy play to produce or act this production deserved the first-night full house and appreciative audience.
Worth a visit whether or not you previously caught the film or don't know anything about the play. It's a theatrical treat.