Amadeus at a glance

Show
Amadeus by Peter Shaffer
Venue
Noël Coward Theatre
Address
St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4AU
Nearest station
Leicester Square
Genre
Drama
Running time
To be announced
Age guidance
Age recommendation to be announced; under-3s not admitted; under-16s must sit next to a ticketholder aged 18 or over; everyone needs a ticket
Dates
17 April – 7 August 2027 (16 weeks)
Schedule
Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
Price range
From £24 (typically £24–£240)
Starring
Michael Sheen (Salieri) and Callum Scott Howells (Mozart)
Director
Jeremy Herrin
Set design
Bunny Christie
Costume design
Lez Brotherston
Casting
Sam Jones
Producers
Second Half Productions and Welsh National Theatre
Try-out
New Theatre Cardiff, 9–27 March 2027

Our Take: Amadeus at the Noël Coward Theatre

4.4
★★★★★

LTH Anticipation Rating

Written by the London Theatre Hub editorial team. Last updated: 26 October 2026. This is an editorial anticipation rating — the production had not opened in London when we wrote this, and we will review it after it opens.

Why it's worth booking

Amadeus is one of the defining plays of the last fifty years: a gripping, darkly funny study of what happens when an ordinary talent stands next to an extraordinary one. It has not had a major London revival for more than a decade, and this production has the pedigree to make it an event.

Michael Sheen has an unusually personal history with the play. He played Mozart in the West End in 1998 and on Broadway, then switched to Salieri at the Sydney Opera House in 2022 — making him the first major actor to have played both leads. Opposite him is Callum Scott Howells, of It's a Sin and Cabaret, whom Sheen directed in the BBC drama The Way. Jeremy Herrin directs, with an Olivier-winning designer in Bunny Christie. Our rating is an anticipation rating; the run is limited to 16 weeks.

What Makes It Special

  • Sheen switches sides. Michael Sheen played Mozart in the West End in 1998 and now plays Salieri in London — he first took on Salieri at the Sydney Opera House in 2022.
  • Callum Scott Howells as Mozart. The star of It's a Sin and Cabaret plays the young genius.
  • The first major revival in over a decade. A rare chance to see Peter Shaffer's play on a West End stage.
  • A Welsh landmark. Co-produced by Welsh National Theatre, with two Welsh actors in the lead roles and a try-out at New Theatre Cardiff.
  • Award-winning creative team. Directed by Jeremy Herrin (Wolf Hall, People, Places and Things), with sets by Bunny Christie and costumes by Lez Brotherston.

You'll love Amadeus if you...

  • Love the 1984 film and want to see the play that inspired it
  • Want to see Michael Sheen on stage — his first West End role since Frost/Nixon
  • Enjoy big, intelligent dramas with dark humour
  • Love classical music and stories about artists
  • Like seeing star performers in a limited run

It might not be for you if you...

  • Prefer musicals or light entertainment
  • Want to wait for confirmed running time and reviews before booking
  • Are bringing younger children — age guidance has not been announced
  • Find long, dialogue-heavy plays hard going
  • Want budget prices for prime seats in a star-led run

Best for

  • Drama lovers
  • Fans of the film
  • Michael Sheen fans
  • Classical music lovers
  • Special occasions
  • Theatre buffs

Less suited to audiences looking for a musical or a light, family-friendly night out.

Critical Reception

The production opens at the Noël Coward Theatre on 17 April 2027, after a Cardiff try-out, and has not yet been reviewed. We will add verified star ratings after the London press night. For context, the play itself has a remarkable record:

  • Original production (National Theatre, 1979) Paul Scofield and Simon Callow
  • 1984 film 8 Academy Awards, incl. Best Picture
  • 2027 West End run Reviews to follow

Sources: production announcements; London reviews to be added after press night.

Everything You Need to Know

What happens in Amadeus?

Vienna, the late 18th century. Antonio Salieri is the respected composer to the imperial court, a devout man who once promised God a life of virtue in return for musical greatness.

Enter Mozart

Then the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrives in the city: crude, childish, giggling — and capable of writing music more perfect than anything Salieri will ever produce. Salieri is the one person who fully understands how great that music is, and he cannot forgive God for giving such a gift to such a man.

A war with God

Told by Salieri himself, looking back at the end of his life, the play follows his campaign to sabotage Mozart's career. It is a thriller, a dark comedy and a meditation on jealousy, faith and the cost of being merely good.