Shaffer, who died in June this year, was more comfortable writing melodrama than most of his contemporaries - but he also brought cheeky humour to the story. Audiences adored the show. When it transferred to Broadway, with Ian McKellen and Tim Curry, it ran almost three years.
Image copyright National Theatre Image caption Adam Gillen has learned a lot about classical music and its creators in order to play the complex starring role of Mozart Gillen says the first weeks of the rehearsal process included an introduction to classical music. "For the first time I really understood the dramatic structure and the skill which went into a masterpiece by Mozart - or by Bach or Beethoven. "I think a lot of modern audiences find classical music too challenging but it's like a play: you have to meet the writer half-way and if you don't make an effort you won't get much out of it. "Having the orchestra there is amazing. You always have to concentrate on what you're doing next as an actor - but just to listen close-up to something like The Abduction from the Seraglio is great. But it's the extracts from Don Giovanni I really engage with. Mozart could articulate something entirely through sound in a beautifully intricate way." Amadeus is returning to its original home of the 1100-seat Olivier auditorium at the National Theatre, where today it can take advantage of the major advances in stage sound since 1979. Msamati says Shaffer wrote as someone who loved and understood great music. "He created a play which is at times incredibly operatic, even without its music. It's unapologetic in its scale and its relish of language. There's always a burning urgency in the main characters. I know it's going to appeal to a 21st Century audience ready for something which shows great truths writ large. Related Topics
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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37692975
Amadeus opera: NT homecoming in fine tune - BBC News
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