Written by Peter Shaffer
Directed by Matthew Jeffery
Review by Eloise Robertson
Strawmoddie’s Amadeus is perfectly disquieting; flawless in-the-round staging meets stellar performances to showcase Peter Shaffer’s writing with due reverence. The superb choice of venue – a church overladen with pianos – attunes the audience to hear Salieri’s every plea with God and Mozart’s transcendent music as naturally, and meaningfully, as Shaffer intended. The immersion that results is a delight.
A great deal of the credit for this immersive feel is owed to Dug Campbell’s sound-scaping. Whether providing an eerie background, stealing focus with Mozart’s brilliant compositions, or guiding the audience to total emotional investment in the final moments; it set the tone. Coupled with this was Beatrice Nicol’s intimate lighting which well-complemented Salieri’s address to the audience. This was an intelligent use of the house lights – eclectic lamps between seats – and greatly successful in Salieri’s solo comic and intimate moments.
Yet, these were mere complement to what made this performance so gripping – the superb use of in-the-round. Matthew Jeffrey deserves high praise for directing a rare treat: an in-the-round performance where the audience need never feel cheated. The integration of the performers with their setting was absolutely precise. From cat-and-mouse on the piano to Mozart’s tragic moments from the gallery, Jeffrey’s thoughtfulness was abundantly clear.
Yet, again, this cleverness would be nothing without the complete prowess of the performers. Ben Blow was absolutely compelling as Antonio Salieri, his performance faultless. To handle such dramatic, brazenly well-crafted, writing as though it were as natural as any thought just now occurring to him, takes an outstanding amount of skill. For handling the script so authoritatively while hitting every humorous beat, every glance to the audience, perfectly, Blow deserves huge praise.
For not only meeting this bar, but raising it with their utter realism, praise is owed also to Caitlin Carter’s Mozart and Amèlie Berry’s Constanze Weber. Carter’s emotional volatility as Mozart played out his tragedy perfectly; from childish shit-jokes to obscene outbursts to pure and innocent fear, their performance was deeply resonant. Berry matched this energy perfectly at each turn, with a sublime cheekiness which morphed effortlessly into real vulnerability. Whether in fits of giggles or total devastation, Carter and Berry had the effortless chemistry of a perfect double act.
As we watched, hooked, through the final moments of the show – the score ever rising, the performances ever more intimate – the triumph of Shaffer’s writing was borne in all its glory. With a script so brilliant, the performances, direction, and tech become mere vessels for its genius. Strawmoddie’s success was absolute in this regard; all will leave impressed by the power of this script and the talent which brought it to life.
An Absolute Success
AMADEUS ran at Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub until May 10th
Running time: Three hours with one interval
Photo credit: Andrew Morris
Review by Eloise Robertson (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Eloise is studying her fourth year of a Philosophy degree at University of Edinburgh, but she spends far too much time costuming student shows and writing opinion pieces for The Student. Since returning from her year abroad in Australia, she’s worked Bedlam Fringe and thrown herself back into Footlights and EUSOG by costuming both their main term shows. At the same time, she’s increasingly found her true passion in writing, and will begin her Master’s in International/Human Rights Journalism next September.
Eloise is a lover of all things camp and comedic, so she’s super excited to review stand-up, clowning, drag, musical theatre, and much more! At the same time, she’s a literature nerd who loves to see a reimagining of a traditional, emotive piece; whether it’s a one man Vanya or unicycling Bottom.
