A new musical stage adaptation of Wladyslaw Szpilman’s memoir that inspired Roman Polanski’s Academy Award-winning film will head to the Park Theatre in London this autumn.
Written and directed by Thom Sutherland (Titanic the Musical), The Pianist will run at the Park Theatre from the 15th October until the 28th November.
With official opening night set for the 22nd October, the production will feature Wladyslaw Szilman’s own music with new lyrics and freshly orchestrated by Simon Lee, Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s long time Musical Director.
A cast of virtuoso actor-musicians conjures the golden age of Jewish Warsaw in all its warmth and wit: the packed concert halls, the candlelit cafés, the irrepressible spirit of a city that loved music above all else.
Original compositions from the so-called “Polish Gershwin” score his story: popular songs that had Warsaw humming, compositions that made him a star.
At its heart, this is a love letter to culture, to the artists and dreamers who carried it, and to the extraordinary power of creativity to outlast even the most turbulent chapters of history. Szpilman’s music doesn’t merely accompany this story; it breathes life into it, binding past to present and reminding us that some things, once made, can never truly be silenced.
Before its London opening, the production will play a limited run at Mayflower Studios, Southampton, from 8th to 12th September 2026.
Casting and creative team for the production have yet to be announced.
Director Thom Sutherland said, “I am delighted that The Pianist will have its London Premiere at the sensational Park Theatre. Szpilman’s memoir remains a poignant and timely beacon of hope; the purest example of how art and music can transcend difference and literally save lives. I am eager to share this production with audiences but also to cast the spotlight onto Szpilman’s compositions which this production features more than thirty of. See you at the Park Theatre”
To book tickets click here.