Tama Matheson on Bringing Beethoven to Life at Opera Holland Park

If you’ve ever felt mildly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of genius behind a name like Beethoven, you’re not alone. Tama Matheson felt it too. Thankfully, he turned that feeling into Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven, a sweeping, personal and surprisingly funny theatrical portrait of the man behind the myth.

First performed with the London Mozart Players and now heading to Opera Holland Park, the show blends music, memory and drama in a way that’s earned standing ovations and a Royal Philharmonic Society Storytelling Award nomination. In this interview, Tama talks about childhood cassette tapes, why Für Elise still makes him laugh, and how Beethoven’s deafness became not just tragedy, but transformation.

He also reflects on collaboration, emotional heft and why even composers need a decent sense of humour.

What first drew you to Beethoven as a subject, and how did this piece begin to take shape as a solo show?

Beethoven had been in my head for many, many years before I wrote this play. I had a cassette of Beethoven’s life as a boy, partly acted, partly narrated, with sections of music scattered through it, and I just loved it. The story, even back then, was deeply thrilling and moving. When I started writing plays about composers, I thought to myself, “one day I’m going to have to tackle Beethoven.” But the prospect was as frightening as it was exciting. When the Wimbledon Music Festival along with the London Mozart Players asked me to write a play about Beethoven in 2020, I was terribly excited. And boy, was I scared. But I’m happy to report it went off well, and has been rather successful ever since.

That cassette clearly stuck. The title of the show is just as memorable. Where did I Shall Hear in Heaven come from?

I Shall Hear in Heaven is a phrase Beethoven was supposed to have uttered at the end of his life. It’s probably apocryphal, but I remember being terribly affected when I read it. The idea of this extraordinary man, who flooded the world with some of the most beautiful music ever written, not being able to hear half of it, that struck me as profoundly meaningful. In the play, this phrase becomes a pivotal moment in the unfolding of Beethoven’s character. It is the moment where, in his thoughts, he overcomes fate.

That phrase seems to sit right at the heart of the piece. But there’s so much going on, history, music, theatre. How did you balance it all?

There are several aspects of writing a historical play that you have to get just right. You have to balance real history with your own invention, real speech with your own dialogue, real incident with your own interpretation of it. The crucial thing for me is the interpretation. You have to draw conclusions about the life that are fresh, unexpected, meaningful and dramatically exciting. I wanted the dialogue to capture the titanic, symphonic Romanticism of Beethoven’s compositions so that the whole play becomes an extension of his craft. I have made one small change in order to facilitate the narrative conceit, but otherwise I try always to be as accurate as possible.

It clearly landed. What was it like getting nominated for the RPS Storytelling Award?

It was thrilling. Firstly, there’s no denying the fact that being nominated for an award is gratifying. And secondly, it felt like official recognition that this form, the music play, really works. Clearly, the storytelling potential of music mingled with drama is huge.

And right at the centre of that story is Beethoven’s deafness. How did you approach it?

Deafness was the central and defining aspect of Beethoven’s life. It was also the fulcrum on which his entire existence turned. Somehow Beethoven had the resolve not to be defeated but to defeat. He would not just overcome his frailty, he would make it his strength. He is the emblem of the indefeasible soul. Perhaps being freed from the shackles of sound, Beethoven was able to create music that outsoared the groundwork of convention.

It’s incredible to think how much came out of that silence. What makes his story stand out from others you’ve written about?

The thunderous vastness of it. Every part of human existence seems to sound in his art. All our ideas of individual expression, personal freedom, the unconquerable mind were born in the Romantic era and came to perfection in the work of Beethoven.

Tama Matheson brings Beethoven to life in his acclaimed music-drama, returning to Opera Holland Park this August

One of the show’s most personal touches is the live piano. What’s it like working with Jayson Gillham?

Jayson brings a musical power and poetic sensitivity to the play that elevates it to another level. Our collaboration began only last year when I decided to collapse this large scale Beethoven show down into a two man version. Despite growing up near each other in Australia, we knew each other only very glancingly. Now, twenty years later, we have finally started working together.

And what about the wider cast and musical team, how do they shape the energy of the show?

Quartet Concrète were recommended by the Brodsky Quartet, who called them one of the most exciting classical groups emerging at the moment. They are willing to leave behind convention and make the music speak in a new way. Muireann is one of the most talented young actors around. Robert has worked with Trevor Nunn and Clive Francis and was himself a horn player. He knows Beethoven’s music from the inside.

For all the music and history, this is also clearly a very emotional piece. Are there moments that still hit you personally?

There are several. They are all at the intersection of music and drama. Life is suddenly transformed into music. One of the most powerful is when Beethoven says, “I long only for that golden time when I shall put off this sagging form, and don eternal vesture... for I shall hear in heaven.” There is also humour. A great moment is when Beethoven calls Für Elise “just a trifling ditty, it will not be long remembered.”

So finally, why should people come and see Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven at Opera Holland Park?

You will be dazzlingly entertained, and leave with your soul refurbished, your ears humming with music, and your heart brimming with new life.

Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven plays at Opera Holland Park for two performances only

Wednesday 6 August 2025 and Friday 8 August 2025, both at 7:30 PM

Tickets and details available at operahollandpark.com