Amadeus (2017)

This is the last National Theatre Live free stream that was available on YouTube, and The Shows Must Go On is on haitus as well. However, it’s not the last theatre stream I have to review. In June, I stopped posting my reviews in order and started jumping around more, giving priority either to productions that spoke meaningfully about race or that had Black actors in prominent roles. In the coming weeks, I’ll backtrack and hit the productions I haven’t talked about yet.

On the eve of his death, Antonio Salieri tells the story of his life, which was indelibly marked by his intense, all-consuming jealousy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He cannot speak about himself without speaking of Mozart, Mozart’s talent, and the way that he, Salieri, could be content in nothing as he realized he could not measure up to the mercurial young genius.

While I saw the movie adaptation of Amadeus many years ago, this is the first time I’ve seen the actual play. I enjoy the theatrical touches that you don’t get with a filmed costume drama, like the ensemble members who give voice to Salieri’s envy and the way the onstage orchestra sometimes takes on aspects of Salieri’s personality when they’re not playing – for instance, when he informs us that his chief sin is gluttony, the members of the orchestra lick their fingers in the background.

Where the production achieves its best moments are in how it depicts Salieri’s deepest reckonings with Mozart’s genius. As the orchestra plays and the lighting dances overhead, Salieri’s moving monologues seize you by the throat – he’s infuriated that the coarse, obnoxious Mozart has the capacity for such beauty, even as he’s so affected by the melodies that he literally drops to his knees, overcome by how exquisite they are. Each of these scenes hits home perfectly.

Other than that, though, I’ll admit that I find this production a little rote. It’s undeniably good, and all of the actors perform their roles well, but in comparison to other productions I’ve seen throughout this National Theatre Live smorgasbord, it’s maybe a bit like Salieri himself: capable but largely unremarkable.

At the center of the proceedings is Lucien Msamati as Salieri. I recognize him best from the Eleventh Doctor story “The Vampires of Venice” (it’d be interesting to go back over all my National Theatre Live reviews and count up just how many Who alum appeared in these 16 productions,) although he also showed up in a few episodes of Game of Thrones. He’s very good, slipping easily between serving as our narrator and diving into the scenes, and he anchors all of those excellent scenes about Mozart’s music. Meanwhile, Mozart is played by Adam Gillen, another Who alum (he was in “The Eternity Trap” on The Sarah Jane Adventures.) I’m less impressed with him – I’m aware that part of it is just the fact that Mozart, especially seen through Salieri’s eyes, isn’t a very likeable character, but I feel like it’s more than that, that his portrayal is a little lacking. One final familiar face I’ll mention is Hammed Animashaun, who plays one of the “whispers” who are constantly in Salieri’s ear. I only know Animashaun through these National Theatre Live plays, but while he doesn’t have much to do here, he’s also featured in Barber Shop Chronicles, and get ready to hear a lot more about him when my Midsummer Night’s Dream review goes up!

Warnings

Sexual content (including sexual coercion,) drinking/smoking, language, brief violence, and thematic elements (including suicide.)