My first conscious memory of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was in the summer of 1976 when as a 15-year-old “Soul Boy”, dressed in collarless white grandad shirt, drainpipe trousers and brown sued winkle picker shoes, whilst busting moves on the dance floor at Crackers Nightclub in Wardour Street “The Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band was played. The dance floor erupted in excitement, energy and euphoria. For me it felt like us Soul Boys were being validated by the world’s greatest composer. It was a memorable epiphany for me, and now fifty years late,r I’m reviewing Tama Matheson’s spellbinding biographical take on the great man. For me, it’s as if I’ve come full circle from teenage Soul Boy to sixty-five-year-old reviewer. I’m still that Soul Boy after all these years, but now my appreciation of Beethoven’s music is deeper and more informed. But that initial encounter still resonates, and its lifelong impact is still bearing fruit.
The first thing to say is that Tama Matheson has created a wonderful play. He has written the script; he acts the titular role, and he directs as well. He is clearly a hands-on sort of guy, not to say a perfectionist. He has clearly steeped himself in Beethoven’s life. The script is extremely well written. Combining a clear biographical narrative interspersed with very well-chosen musical interludes, played by the Quartet Conrete and sung by the English Chamber Choir, Tama gives a mesmerizingly propulsive account of Beethoven’s life and times. It’s the best introduction to his life and work you could hope to experience. Really first class, which I recommend. It would appeal particularly to those punters who feel intimidated or put off by classical music as being too difficult or not for them. This show cuts through all such barriers and gives us Beethoven warts and all.
The chronological journey from his birth in Bonn in 1770 until his death in Vienna in 1827 works because we see quite clearly how his life experiences made both him and his music. This show is an indubitable confirmation of the biographical interpretation of art, contrary to the death of the author post-modernist nonsense. His violent alcoholic father, a Bill Skyes type (chillingly played by Robert Maskell), battered, bullied, and brutalised him from a young age. Trying to create another child prodigy such as Mozart, no doubt thinking of the financial rewards, Beethoven senior is a monster of a Father who probably initiated Beethoven’s deafness by his vicious blows to the side of the child’s head. Robert Maskell does an extraordinary job of multi-tasking, playing not only Beethoven senior but also the narrator / biographer and Beethoven’s best and only friend, Wegeler. Switching from the drunken and abusive father to the kind and caring Wegeler in seconds is mightily impressive stuff. Equally outstanding is Suzy Khan as mother, lover, student, prostitute and more. Between them, these three actors walk us through the most tumultuous moments in Beethoven’s life. The one fact everyone knows about him is that he went deaf. And this is, of course, referenced in the title I Shall Hear in Heaven. Tama is at his best in portraying Beethoven’s anguish as he gets deafer and deafer. The overcoming of adversity becomes in fact the key message of the play. Beethoven has an indomitable will and has the remarkable capacity to bounce back. He is the supreme example of Nietzsche’s aphorism: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. I have often doubted the truth of that, but this play demonstrates its veracity.
The musical interventions are crucial to the play. They provide not just a wonderful balance to the biographical narrative but also illuminate the life. For example, when Beethoven fell in love with Julie Guicciardi in 1801, he wrote the “Moonlight Sonata” for her. Played in the context of her rejection of him because he had no prospects, it becomes all the more poignant. This delicate back and forth between life and the music transforms a good show into an outstanding one. I was hugely taken with the way in which Tama dramatises Beethoven’s philosophy of music. He has a fully worked out programmatic vision, which I found exhilarating. He compares himself to Prometheus, Caliban, Coriolanus and finally Prospero. At each juncture, he succinctly and compellingly makes his case. It’s thrillingly insightful and brings the music vividly to life as a result of Tama’s peerless explication, explanation and energy.
I’m giving this review four stars, not fiv,e because I have a couple of reservations. The first act prior to the interval, is superb. The problem is the second half. It’s too long and loses momentum somewhat. This is, I think, because Tama is so immersed in Beethoven’s life that he wants to give us too much. Whereas I think less is more. The judicious application of Ockham’s Razor would, in my view, make for a tighter and more satisfying audience experience. Maybe he ought to have had the cold eye of a director? The other issue is the venue. It’s too big and subsequently, some of the nuances are lost in the ether, so to speak. This is a production that is crying out for an intimate venue, where performers and audience can get closer and savour every gesture, sound and emotion. Having said that, let me finish by reiterating that this is the best introduction to the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven that you could possibly wish to see.
Review by John O’Brien
Plunge into the soul of genius in this electrifying and award-nominated play about the life of Ludwig Van Beethoven – the artist whose story epitomizes our ideas of courage, overcoming, triumph, and wonder.
Written by multi-award-winning theatre-maker, Tama Matheson, this uniquely-riveting drama takes you on a dazzling journey from Beethoven’s troubled youth to his elevation as one of the most celebrated artists in history.
Writer & Performer: Tama Matheson
Music Director: Jayson Gillham
Cast: Tama Matheson, Robert Maskell, Muireann Gallen
Music: Quartet Concrète and the English Chamber Choir
BEETHOVEN: I SHALL HEAR IN HEAVEN
Opera Holland Park
6 and 8 August 2025
