It’s surprising how much of a sucker-punch can be delivered by a woman in an enormous dress quietly laying down some old-time truths. The Other Mozart tells the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s equally brilliant and highly talented big sister (if you know her name without resorting to the internet, you win a good feminist award). Maria Anna ‘Nannerl’ Mozart toured the salons and concert halls of Europe as a child, composed prolifically, and was generally considered to be a superstar. But once she reached ‘marriageable age’, she was forced to withdraw from public life, fading into obscurity and only re-emerging as the keeper of her sibling’s story after his early death. 

This all plays out in exquisite detail in this solo show, set perfectly on the enormous skirt of Mozart’s dress: an apt metaphor for the social structures that imprisoned her. Sylvia Milo’s stunning performance (alternating with Daniela Galli) is a masterclass in quiet control, ranging from demure to steely and only allowing her rage to finally, wonderfully, erupt at the end. The modern audience can only wonder at her self-restraint as she focuses intently on the tiny details of domesticity that fill her life: letters, quills, the tiny tinkles of a china cup. The only thing that takes us out of her world of restriction is the gorgeous music that fills the theatre. It’s only upon leaving that you realise this is another slap in the face: none of it is our Mozart’s as, naturally, no records of her compositions exist. 

The Other Mozart, Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 August, 1.45pm.