Scottish actor Brian Cox gives a commanding performance as Johann Sebastian Bach in Oliver Cotton’s period piece The Score at the Bath Theatre Royal.
The classically trained Shakespearian actor has gained a high profile recently for his role in HBO’s American satirical comedy-drama television series The Succession.
But he gives an absolutely gripping performance in director Sir Trevor Nunn’s world premiere production of The Score, based on the 18th-century German composer and musician’s invitation to visit the court of Prussian King Frederick II.
As in Succession, he is a patriarch coming to the end of his life – elderly, with failing eyesight and coming to terms with his legacy.
Set in Spring 1747 in Potsdam, Prussia, Bach lives in Leipzig and reluctantly accepts a royal invitation to visit the court of Frederick II, Europe’s most ambitious and dangerous leader.
But the two men could hardly be more different. As the Age of Enlightenment dawns across Europe, they stand in opposite camps. Bach is deeply religious, Frederick is an atheist.
Bach loathes war, Frederick revels in it. Bach studies scripture, Frederick reads military history.
However, Frederick remains in awe of Bach’s genius and has mischievously prepared a musical conundrum that he hopes will baffle the composer and amuse his court.
But the invitation to improvise a three-part fugue, a compositional procedure characterised by the systematic imitation of a principal theme, leads to an explosive disagreement between the two.
Cox is positively towering in the lead role and is ably supported in an almost word-perfect performance by his real-life wife Nicole Ansari-Cox as Anna, Matthew Burns as his son Carl, and Stephen Hagan as Frederick II.
Peter De Jersey also shines with a ham French accent as the 18th century French philosopher, writer, satirist and historian Voltaire, and so does Dona Croll as the servant Emilia, who has spent 50 years in the Prussian court and is then cruelly cast aside.
There are also nicely-observed comedic performances from Christopher Staines as Quantz, Benedict Salter as Benda and Eric Sirakian as Graun, the three courtier/composers who assist Frederick in his plot to test Bach’s musical composition skills.
The cast is completed by Will Kerr, Geoffrey Towers, Jimmy Gladdon, Toby Webster and Rebecca Thornhill.
Credit must be given to the set and costume designer Robert Jones and lighting designer Johanna Town for one of the most versatile productions I have seen in a long time.
The set revolves from the sparse interior of Bach's family home to the opulence of the Prussian court, the lighting was spot on, and the period costumes were absolutely gorgeous.
Sound design and additional composition is by Sophie Cotton and Cordelia Monsey is associate director, with Terry King as fight director.
The 14-strong cast thoroughly deserved the standing ovation they received on Thursday evening and in my humble opinion their performances were among the best I have seen this year.
The Score appears at the Theatre Royal Bath to Saturday, October 28. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or book online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk
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