The Welsh actor will take on the part of Antonio Salieri in a fresh staging of Peter Shaffer’s classic play in the capital and the capital’s theatre district.

Callum Scott Howells will appear opposite him as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as part of Welsh National Theatre’s 2027/28 season programming.

Sheen, who originally performed as Mozart in Peter Hall’s 1990s version of the work at the Old Vic and on Broadway, subsequently played Salieri at the Sydney Opera House, making him the inaugural leading performer to have portrayed both characters in the drama.

Sheen described it as a significant return to the West End with this production. He noted that performing Salieri opposite a fellow Welshman as Mozart, a part that has held tremendous personal meaning for him, feels particularly meaningful. He mentioned having directed Howells in his television series The Way, describing him as an exceptional performer who merits this stage opportunity and suggesting audiences should anticipate something special. He added that bringing this significant new version to both Cardiff and the West End, marking a first for a Welsh national theatre, represents an important progression in their collective journey.

The performer will revisit the Salieri role in a production overseen by Jeremy Herrin, debuting at Cardiff’s New Theatre from March 9 to 27, prior to moving to the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End for a sixteen-week season from April 17 through August 7.

Sheen previously received nominations for Olivier and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his earlier portrayal of Mozart.

This engagement marks the inaugural occasion a Welsh national theatre company has obtained a prominent West End residency.

Howells, recognised for his West End achievements in Cabaret and his appearance in the television series It’s a Sin, will play Mozart in the production.

Standard admission tickets go on sale at 10am on April 24, with fifteen thousand seats available at thirty pounds or below.