Theatre Review: Amadeus

Amadeus

The Old Vic, London SE1

Did the composer Salieri murder his arch rival, Mozart? Peter Hall returns to Peter Shaffer's hit "thriller" which turns into a fierce debate about the absence of God. After the film, the play seems very cumbersome and wordy and the usually excellent David Suchet isn't ideal casting as vengeful Salieri, but Michael Sheen is quite stunning as Mozart. His fantastically physical performance convinces you of his character's genius and the play catches fire whenever he's on stage.