The first production images have been released for The Pianist, a new musical built from Władysław Szpilman’s own compositions, which has its world premiere at the Park Theatre next month.
The first production images have been released for The Pianist, the new musical staging of Władysław Szpilman’s memoir, ahead of its world premiere at the Park Theatre. The run opens on Thursday 15 October and continues to Saturday 28 November 2026, with a national press night on Thursday 22 October. Thom Southerland adapts and directs.
What the pictures show is the shape of the thing: a company of actor-musicians on a stage backed by a wall of enormous handwritten manuscript, instruments in hand, the piano at the centre of it all. The production reached these images by way of first performances at Mayflower Studios in Southampton.
Szpilman’s own music
The distinguishing idea is that the score is Szpilman’s. Known worldwide for the memoir and for the Academy Award-winning film drawn from it, he was also one of Poland’s most celebrated composers and pianists, popular enough in pre-war Warsaw to be called the Polish Gershwin. His compositions carry the show, in new arrangements, musical supervision and orchestrations by Simon Lee, long-time musical director to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
New lyrics come from an international group of writers: two-time Grammy nominee Carol Connors, David Batteau, jazz singer Wendy Lands with Jim Gillard, Grammy-nominated Michael Ruff, and the composer’s son Andreas Szpilman, who has also given the production his blessing as a producing partner.
Cast
Daniel Krikler plays Władysław Szpilman, with 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 and Max Roll as Gimpel and Majorek, with Oliver Magor and Erin Rowlatt completing the company.
Creative team
Choreography and movement direction are by Karen Bruce, with set and video design by Andrzej Goulding, costume design by Jonathan Lipman, lighting by Robbie Butler and sound by Gareth Tucker for Autograph Sound. Malcolm Forbes-Peckham is musical director and Josh Whatsize assistant director, with casting by Ginny Schiller CDG and Ben Armstrong. The production is presented by Wolk Transfer Company and Willette Klausner, by special arrangement with Andreas Szpilman, with DEM Productions as executive producer and general manager.
Watch the teaser trailer
First look at The Pianist on stage
We looked inside the rehearsal room last month. Performances run Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3pm, and there is an audio-described performance on Friday 6 November at 7.30pm with a touch tour beforehand. Age guidance is 11+.
The Pianist plays the Park Theatre from 15 October to 28 November 2026.
