Beethoven: Edge of Silence Review

Cleverly spun a tale from two strands of the great composer's life

Mike Venables' one-man show was intelligent, passionate and full-throated.  His vocal range was a major asset in a performance embracing thundered commands from Beethoven's tyrannical Father - so abrupt they made me jump in my seat - to imitations of flirtatious, simpering countesses.

Another stand-out feature must be that the live music, performed by the highly talented Rebecca Weston, was truly integrated. You didn't have to be a classical music buff to find the piano excerpts delightful, relevant and enhancing. A change of mood or scene was skilfully indicated by a new melody. Particularly telling was the transposition from the poignant beauty of the 7th Symphony's, 2nd Movement to the unmistakable notes of Ode to Joy that finished the show. Mike used Beethoven's comments on the 7th (where the ecstatic Viennese crowd demanded an immediate encore) to show that the play was as much about Beethoven's self-belief and courage as his genius. 

So what happened? Mike Venables cleverly spun a tale from two strands of the great composer's life: his clandestine romantic passion (revealed in the letter 'My Immortal Beloved') and his frightening new awareness of deafness.

Finding the deafness motif more interesting than the women in his life, I particularly admired the subtle way that Mike introduced Beethoven's reaction to discovering his condition. Immediately after we see him catching only half of a conversation we move to a comic scene introducing a 'charming' countess. The audience is momentarily distracted from his developing sorrow. But sure enough, the unwelcome memory of the rising physical threat returns to us quickly, as it does to the unfortunate composer. 

There was however considerable humour in the piece that leavened the intense emotion: his natural childlike indignation on seeing himself referred to as a '6 year old prodigy' (when he was really 7!!) and his chagrin at his friendly reception, swiftly followed by breezy dismissal, by the self-centred Mozart, were true-to-life comic moments.

It's thanks to the Midlands Fringe that Wolverhampton now benefits from shows of this quality. Although 20 people is (an old hand tells me!) handsome compared to Edinburgh audiences rumoured to average 6, I felt that Mike deserved a much bigger crowd: when word gets out how strong this highly original piece is perhaps we might see it again in the city?