The production first had performances at the Mayflower Studios in Southampton and will travel to the Park Theatre in London from the 15th October until the 28th November.
Production images have now been released for the world premiere of The Pianist, based on Wladyslaw Szpilman’s internationally acclaimed memoir and the inspiration behind Roman Polanski’s Academy Award-winning film.
Officially opening at the Park Theatre on the 22nd October, the production is adapted and directed by Thom Southerland.
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.
This world premiere has been produced by Wolk Transfer Company and Willette Klausner and presented by special production arrangement with Andreas Szpilman, son of the Pianist.
The cast includes: Daniel Krikler as Wladyslaw Szpilman, alongside Rosalind Ford as ‘Mother’; Oliver Grant as ‘Hosenfeld’; TJ Holmes as ‘Father’; Mischa Jardine as ‘Janina’; Elżbieta Kalicka as ‘Regina’; Nitai Levi as ‘Henryk’; Melania Maggiore as ‘Halina’; Max Roll as ‘Gimpel/Majorek’; with ensemble members Oliver Magor and Erin Rowlatt.
The creative team includes: arrangements, musical supervision, and orchestrations by Simon Lee, choreography & movement direction by Karen Bruce, set and video design by Andrzej Goulding, costume design by Jonathan Lipman, lighting design by Robbie Butler, sound design by Gareth Tuckerfor Autograph Sound, musical direction by Malcolm Forbes-Peckham, assistant direction by Josh Whatsize, casting by Ginny Schiller CDG & Ben Armstrong with Executive producing and general management by DEM Productions.
In addition, the show also features new lyrics by an international group of writers and musicians, bringing fresh voice to Szpilman’s original compositions. The lyricists and songwriters include two-time Grammy nominee Carol Connors, acclaimed songwriter David Batteau, jazz singer Wendy Lands and collaborator Jim Gillard, Grammy-nominated Michael Ruff, and Szpilman’s son Andreas Szpilman.
To book tickets visit: https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/the-pianist/