A pianist's wartime survival story told through Wladyslaw Szpilman's own music.
Based on the bestselling memoir by Wladyslaw Szpilman, The Pianist follows the celebrated Polish Jewish pianist and composer as he navigates life in Warsaw during the Second World War. The production traces his rise as a prominent musician, the destruction of the city's Jewish cultural life under Nazi occupation, and his struggle to survive amid war and persecution. Szpilman's own compositions are woven throughout the narrative, reflecting both the world he lost and the artistic legacy he preserved.
The stage adaptation is written and directed by Thom Southerland (Titanic the Musical). The score features original music by Wladyslaw Szpilman, with orchestrations and musical supervision by Simon Lee (long-time musical director and arranger for Andrew Lloyd Webber productions). The production is performed by a company of actor-musicians who bring Szpilman's music to the stage alongside the story of wartime Warsaw.
Presented as the world stage premiere, the production recreates the cultural life of pre-war Jewish Warsaw through live performance, incorporating popular songs, concert works, and period settings. Produced by Wolk Transfer Company in association with Park Theatre, the adaptation marks the first time Szpilman's music has been used as the foundation of a theatrical retelling of his memoir.
