Review: Saving Mozart (The Other Palace)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️

Telling the stories of artists from our lifetime is a tall enough order, as some failed jukebox musicals can testify, but what happens when you try to tell the story of someone whose influence in music has been felt for centuries? That’s the unenviable task of Saving Mozart, following hot on the heels of last year’s one-night-only concert Mozart: Her Story (musicals about Mozart are like buses, I guess). Would the UK premiere of Saving Mozart manage to hit all of the right notes, or would the performance fall flat?

Saving Mozart tells the story of the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a way like never before, charting his journey from child prodigy to musical rebel to outcast to icon, as well as a glimpse of the women who shaped him. After a well-received world premiere just outside Mozart’s birthplace in Austria earlier this year, it now makes its UK premiere with a limited run at The Other Palace.

One of the main themes in Saving Mozart is of him struggling to make sense of who he is and what he’s meant to do.  Sadly, this is a theme that is mirrored in the writing of this incredibly uneven musical. A note in the programme admirably says the show is aimed at championing the two women who shaped his life and saved his legacy in his sister, Nannerl, and his wife, Constanze. The problem is that these characters are sidelined for large portions of the musical and feel drastically underdeveloped and one-dimensional when they are on stage. This isn’t a problem that is restricted to the women in the play, as the majority of characters also suffer from being underwritten, but given the intent of this play to amplify the storytelling of the women, it proves even more disappointing that this has not been achieved as promised.

The story jumps around in a way that can be hard to follow, with large chunks of Mozart's life as an adult missing, and perhaps too much time spent on his time as a child. This means that pivotal moments in his story are referenced seemingly randomly, as if we were supposed to know that already (notably a story involving his children). Mozart’s father Leopold, suffers from a bizarre interpretation that seems to be several different characters rolled into one at various times, while his speedy ageing in Act Two, and the characters that pass away during the musical showcase weaknesses in the writing, and is in desperate need of reigning in. Both Acts feel like completely different shows, with a vast disparity in the writing. Act One, though not without its faults, was pleasant enough, only to have this goodwill undone in a second Act that was all over the place and felt unfinished.

If the intent of Saving Mozart was to create something original, sadly the opposite has happened here. Very clearly inspired by other musicals, their influence is clear to see - most notably that of Hamilton. Falling into the same trap several other musicals have fallen into in this post-Hamilton world, the attempts to emulate and replicate the show cheapen both the story and the writing. From an opening number that I can only describe as Hamilton-lite, intentional or unintentional nods to the musical are seen frequently,  but none more so than the end. This ending doesn’t so much borrow from the ending of  Hamilton as it does copy it almost identically, even to the detail of Mozart weaving his way in the characters to get to the women summarising his legacy. It’s quite surprising nobody involved in the production picked up on how identical this ending is - if anyone involved in the show takes one thing away from this review, I really would encourage them to rethink the ending and see how closely it resembles that other musical. 

When the same person is responsible for the book, music, and lyrics in a musical, it can go one of two ways. It can either lead to something cohesive and strong or, more often than not, it can suffer from not having a second pair of eyes and ears to collaborate and elevate the material. Sadly, in Saving Mozart, it is very much a case of the latter. What I will say for Charli Eglington is that her music is incredibly strong and satisfyingly catchy, with several numbers throughout the musical showing real promise. It is the lyrics that let it down significantly, never matching the high standard set from the music and suffering from lazy rhymes and an over-reliance on repetition. Clearly, Eglington is a talented writer as I have witnessed personally through following her career prior to this, but the standard across the book, music and lyrics proves all too inconsistent and could really benefit from somebody else coming on board to tighten some of these elements up.

There is also the sense that Eglington’s collaborators had differing and conflicting visions that didn’t quite gel together, resulting in a production that feels messy, busy, and lacking in much-needed harmony. Choreography never quite fits in with the other elements, while the direction isn’t as tight as you would hope by this stage, with some blocking issues, clumsiness with props and even a lack of awareness of when the show should be paused to allow applause. Some numbers didn’t allow the audience to clap, even when they started to, while others had prolonged pauses where no response was had. Pacing is a real problem in Saving Mozart and is in serious need of tightening up. Though it must be said I was invited to review quite early into the run, and it became obvious the majority of those involved weren’t of the standard they ought to be at. I imagine this will improve in the coming days, and I would be keen to see how this production compares towards the end of the run, as it should be a lot better than it is currently.

One of the stronger elements of Saving Mozart is in Justin Williams’ striking set design, full of smoke and mirrors, and allowing for some great effects, making the rather intimate stage at The Other Palace feel much grander than it actually is. Perhaps, the smoke machine was being used a bit too overzealously, covering the stage at times and being distractingly noisy. Though Ben Jacobs’ lighting design is initially pleasing, it wasn’t used to great effect throughout the musical, whether that was a fault of this performance alone or a regular occurrence. The cast were regularly plunged into darkness, making it difficult to see and never quite keeping up with them.

An incredible cast of West End favourites have been gathered to take on the characters of Saving Mozart, though many suffer from being underused. Aimie Atkinson is full of intrigue as Nannerl and gets off to a strong start, before being quickly sidelined and disappearing for a large chunk of the story. When she does appear and gets a chance to showcase her phenomenal vocals, she lifts the show exponentially. I’m unsure why more hasn’t been made of her character and wonder if it is perhaps to do with that other Mozart story that similarly promised to focus on the forgotten Mozart sibling. After being absent for the entirety of Act One, Erin Caldwell opens Act Two, introducing us to Mozart’s future bride, Constanze. She doesn’t have much to do, though in one of the more frustratingly underwritten characters in the story,

Gloria Onitri is wasted in the dual roles of Mozart’s mother and Cecilia, though her stunning stage presence and vocals prove how much she could have elevated the show, had she been given the chance. Similarly, Jordan Luke Gage doesn’t have a lot to do as Antonio Salieri, though he more than makes his presence felt in his musical numbers that once again showcase what a sensational talent he is, even when the material doesn’t use him for all of his strengths as an actor. In particular, the relationship Salieri has with Mozart feels forced and unnatural with the stakes never being set and this particular strand of the story almost feeling like an afterthought. A talented ensemble showcases no shortage of potential in the brief times we see them, but not enough thought has been given to their purpose and what they can actually do on stage.

The undoubted star of the show is Jack Chambers in the lead role of Mozart. Though marketing materials would suggest the lead character is Nannerl, the vast disparity in their stage time and how fleshed out their characters allows for Chambers to make his presence felt and gives us much more to do - and what a star he is. An absolute revelation in the role, through emotive acting, charisma and a beautiful singing voice, he delivers a powerful turn that is better than the sum of its parts. It is a testament to his talents in how much he carries the show, and left me wondering how much more he would be capable of if the material served him better.

There are several aspects that redeem Saving Mozart, but there are too many contributing factors that prevent this from reaching its full potential. I got the sense that this show is in need of a lot more workshopping and was in no way ready to be seen by a paying audience. The writing needs tightening up, elements of the story need rethinking altogether, and all of the creatives need to be on the same page to bring that harmony that is so paramount to a story such as Mozart’s. There is the overwhelming feeling that this show doesn’t quite know what it wants to be just yet, and too many conflicting aspects and voices prevent it from finding one cohesive tone. Saving Mozart is not quite in need of a requiem just yet, but is in desperate need of a lot of saving and re-orchestrating before it can be called a symphony.

Saving Mozart plays at The Other Palace until 30th August. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/saving-mozart-tickets 

Photos by Danny Kaan