Michael Sheen to play Salieri in new ‘Amadeus’ production

23 April 2026, 09:00

Welsh National Theatre brings Mozart to the West End (via Cardiff)

Welsh actors Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells will lead a new staging of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, in the first major revival of the play in more than a decade.

The play - a co-production between Second Half Productions and Welsh National Theatre (founded by Sheen) - will open in Cardiff in March 2027 before transferring to the West End for a 16-week run.

Sheen will play court composer Antonio Salieri opposite It’s a Sin actor Callum Scott Howells as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sheen previously played Mozart in the West End and on Broadway in 1998–9 and later played Salieri at the Sydney Opera House in 2022.

Read more: Did you know Mozart’s middle name isn’t really Amadeus?

The revival will be directed by Jeremy Herrin, whose recent work includes Guess How Much I Love You? at the Royal Court and the touring stage adaptation of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.

Set in Vienna in 1820, Shaffer’s play explores the time-old themes of genius and its personal cost, centring on the largely fictionalised relationship between Mozart and his colleague Salieri, and scored by the great composer himself.

The production comes hot on the heels of the recent Sky miniseries starring Paul Bettany and Will Sharpe. relationship between Mozart and his colleague Salieri and scored by the great composer himself.

Read more: Paul Bettany tapped into own insecurities to play Salieri in new ‘Amadeus’ series

“It’s a full-circle moment for me to return to the West End with Amadeus,” four-time Olivier Award nominee Sheen said. “To play Salieri opposite a fellow Welshman as Mozart - a role that has meant so much to me - feels very special indeed. To bring this vital new production to both Cardiff and the West End – a first for a Welsh National Theatre – feels like an important next step on our journey.”

Amadeus will play at New Theatre Cardiff from 9 – 27 March 2027, and at London’s Noël Coward Theatre on the West End from 17 April – 17 August. Tickets go on general sale from 10am on Friday 24 April 2026.