Stepping into the shoes of a legendary genius is a daunting task for any actor. For Will Sharpe, the challenge was to embody Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Sky's ambitious new television adaptation of Amadeus, a role that demanded six months of dedicated musical preparation.
Embodying a Musical Genius
The 39-year-old actor, acclaimed for roles in The White Lotus and Giri/Haji, committed to learning the composer's piano pieces long before filming began. Sharpe describes this intensive process as giving him "something very solid to do in preparation" for the monumental part.
The series, launching on 21st December on Sky and NOW, is based on Peter Shaffer's iconic 1979 play and the beloved 1984 film. It reimagines the fictionalised rivalry between Mozart and the Italian composer Antonio Salieri, played by Paul Bettany, with Gabrielle Creevy starring as Mozart's wife, Constanze.
A New Interpretation of a Classic Tale
While acknowledging the legacy of Miloš Forman's Oscar-winning film, the cast approached this version with a fresh perspective. Paul Bettany, who portrays the envious Salieri, admitted initial reservations about portraying the historical figure as a villain.
"He seems like he was quite a great chap who helped a lot of young musicians," Bettany noted, explaining that he ultimately chose to treat Salieri as a "great literary villain" similar to Shakespeare's Iago. He credits his composer son for helping him stay musically "on the straight and narrow."
The series aims for a more balanced narrative than previous adaptations, giving greater depth to the characters of both Mozart and Constanze. For Creevy, research into the real Constanze was challenging due to scarce historical records, leading her to focus on the character's physicality, even taking breathing lessons for her revealing costumes.
Music as the Heart of the Story
The production meticulously blended historical accuracy with modern sensibility. Sharpe highlighted how the language, costume design, and even the conducting style walked this line, incorporating subtle influences from rock and roll to aid the storytelling.
For the actors, the power of Mozart's music became a profound emotional conduit. Creevy recalled a pivotal scene where Sharpe's Mozart performs The Great Mass, realising that "all of this music is how Mozart would have shown all of his emotion."
Sharpe himself was struck by a moment of introspection while filming a scene composing the Queen of the Night aria. "I wonder if he could feel that he was writing something that would last forever?" he mused, a question that echoes for audiences centuries later.
Bettany, portraying Salieri's awe, used his own genuine lack of prior familiarity with the pieces to his advantage, hearing them for the first time on camera to capture authentic wonder. "It really, really affected me," he confessed.
This new Amadeus promises to be a distinctive and resonant retelling, anchored by dedicated performances and a deep reverence for the timeless music that lies at its core.
