REHEARSALS are into week two for York Theatre Royal's summer repertory production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus.

At the helm is director Tim Luscombe, directing in York for the first time after working for the National Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Aldwych Theatre, among others.

At his disposal he has a cast of 23 - abnormally large for York Theatre Royal - to bring to life the musical intrigue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his jealous arch-rival, Salieri, in decadent 18th century Vienna.

Malcolm Rennie will play Salieri, with such credits as the Royal Shakespeare Company's international tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream to his name; Daniel Hart will be Mozart, having appeared previously in Vanity Fair and Cambridge Spies.

Other roles go to Charlotte Parry as Constanze Weber; Riding Lights Theatre Company regular Mark Payton as Baron van Swieten; David Delve as Venticello; Andrew Leonard, Venticello 2; Phillip Rham, Johann Kilian von Strack; Nigel Hoyle, Count Orsini-Rosenberg; Anthony Houghton, Major-Domo and Valet; Adam Astill, Emperor Josef II; and Jenni Maitland, Katerina and Cook.

With period costumes and set design by Stephen Yull, Luscombe's musical production will run from July 18 to August 9.

For tickets, ring 01904 623568.

Updated: 10:25 Friday, July 04, 2003