Michael Sheen will return to the West End to star in a revival of Peter Shaffer's award-winning play Amadeus, opposite Callum Scott Howells as Mozart. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the production will open at New Theatre Cardiff in March 2027 before transferring to the Noël Coward Theatre in London for a 16-week run starting in April. This marks the first major comeback of Shaffer's play in over a decade.
Sheen's Role and Previous Performances
Sheen will play court composer Antonio Salieri, a role he previously performed in Sydney in 2022. Earlier in his career, he portrayed Mozart in both the West End and Broadway during the late 1990s. The production reunites him with Howells, who makes his debut as Mozart after their collaboration on the BBC drama The Way.
A Milestone for Welsh Theatre
This production is significant as it marks the first time two Welsh actors have taken on the roles of Salieri and Mozart in the same production. It is a co-production between Second Half Productions and Welsh National Theatre, a company established by Sheen in 2025 with his own money, where he serves as founding artistic director. This will be the company's first West End staging.
Sheen described the production as a “full-circle moment” and said performing alongside Howells “feels very special.” Howells called the opportunity to play Mozart a “dream come true.” Herrin, founder of Second Half Productions, expressed delight at working on “this legendary and beloved play” with Sheen, whom he considers “one of the world's best.”
Plot and Setting
Set in Vienna in 1820, Amadeus follows Salieri as he reflects on his rivalry with Mozart, a composer whose talent he believes to be divinely inspired. As admiration turns to envy, the play charts Salieri's growing obsession and his destructive campaign against the man he both reveres and resents.
Tickets go on general sale on 24 April.
