REVIEW: THE PIANIST @ PARK THEATRE

🎭 The Pianist

📍 Park Theatre, 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3JP

🗓 Saturday 24th October 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

MUSIC AMID THE RUINS

Last night I battled through the wind and the rain - and had the wonderful pleasure of getting splashed by inconsiderate drivers - to get to Finsbury Park for my first visit to the Park Theatre, where I had been invited to review the brand-new musical THE PIANIST.

The musical is based on the memoir of Władysław Szpilman, charting his life as a Jewish man in Warsaw during World War II. If I'm honest, I walked into this show completely blind, having never read the memoir or watched the famous 2002 movie adaptation. I actually had no idea it was even a wartime story, which made the unfolding drama hit even harder.

The plot takes us on a devastating journey through Szpilman’s life, starting with the comfortable, artistic pre-war world he built in Warsaw, only to watch it brutally dismantled piece by piece. We see the arrival of the Nazi regime, the confinement into the Warsaw Ghetto, the heartbreaking separation from his family, and his long, agonising years in hiding. What makes this production incredibly special, is that I later discovered that this is the very first adaptation to weave Szpilman's actual, original musical compositions directly into the narrative. Before the war, he wrote beautifully infectious jazz, pop, and classical pieces. Hearing these buoyant melodies transformed into a haunting theatrical score - with English lyrics added - beautifully bridges the gap between his joyous past and his survival.

The main strength in this production lies heavily with its cast. Władysław Szpilman is brought to life by Daniel Krikler, who gives an incredibly powerful performance. He anchors the entire evening with a deeply sensitive, quietly devastating portrayal. What blew me away was how clearly you can see his transformation as the story progresses. He evolves from a dapper, confident musician into a hollowed-out, physically numb survivor, perfectly capturing the psychological toll of isolation and trauma.

Watching Krikler made me think of my own grandfather, who although was in Yugoslavia rather than Poland, was a Jewish man caught up in the horrors inflicted by the Nazis. He never spoke about what happened to him, and I sadly know nothing about his family, but the storytelling here gave me an insight into the kind of experiences he may have had. It turned a historical piece into something incredibly raw and personal for me.

Other standout performances for me came from Rosalind Ford as Mother, who delivers a truly heartbreaking and grounded performance, and Oliver Grant as Hosenfeld, the Nazi officer who brings an unexpected, crucial layer of humanity to the final act. But honestly, the entire company of actor-musicians were exquisite. The way they seamlessly switch between acting, singing, and playing live strings right on stage is pure theatrical magic. I was so impressed with the level of performance that I found myself giving a spontaneous standing ovation at the end of the evening - and I'm not the sort of person that stands up for everything I see.

On the technical side, I was really impressed with the set and video designs by Andrzej Goulding and I loved how they work together. The stage is dominated by a central baby grand piano on a raised platform, which acts as the beating heart of the room. The video projections and Robbie Butler's atmospheric lighting design wrap around it beautifully, shifting from the warm, golden hues of pre-war Warsaw to the cold, stark, suffocating shadows of the ruins. The lighting design does a magnificent job of dialing up the tension, isolating the performers in pools of light that mimic the constant threat of discovery.

For all the brilliance, though, there were some elements that I didn't like so much, stopping me from awarding the production the full five stars. Firstly, I found it strange that in a musical called THE PIANIST, about a real-life famous pianist, the character didn't actually play the piano until the dying moments of the show. Instead, the piano was played throughout by the show's musical director, Malcolm Forbes-Peckham. I don't want to take anything away from his sensational piano playing - he is undeniably a virtuoso - but for me, this created a disconnect between the character and his passion. I feel it would have worked much better to have had the character of Władysław Szpilman playing at the beginning, and then as the Nazis take hold and strip him of his life, it could have transitioned to Forbes-Peckham playing. I feel that this would have delivered a real, visceral portrayal of silenced expression.

Furthermore, although as stated earlier I simply adored Krikler's central performance, I found the way that a high proportion of the evening was delivered through narration meant the script often told us what was happening rather than showing us. A bit less monologue and a bit more live dramatisation would have really helped to deliver the full emotional blows of the story.

That being said, there were some really beautiful, lo-tech creative choices throughout that lingered long after the lights went down. One standout moment was a simple red shawl being used to represent a dead child - a hauntingly poetic image. Another was the stunning visual effect of the aftermath of a bomb landing nearby, where a shower of sheet music falls over the stage like ash, signaling the literal destruction of Szpilman's musical world. Brilliant.

Overall, despite a couple of structural hiccups with the narrative delivery and the piano separation, THE PIANIST is a profoundly moving, beautifully crafted piece of theatre. It stands as a gorgeous musical tribute to resilience and memory. Driven by an exceptional cast of actor-musicians and a mesmerising lead performance, it is well worth braving the rain for.

Performances continue at the Park Theatre until Saturday 28th November. CLICK HERE to find out more about the show, and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of The Pianist was gifted by ANRPR, who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST:

Daniel Krikler as Władysław Szpilman; Malcolm Forbes-Peckham as Pianist; Rosalind Ford as Mother; Oliver Grant as Hosenfeld; TJ Holmes as Father; Mischa Jardine as Janina; Elźbieta Kalicka as Regina; Nitai Levi as Henryk; Melania Maggiore as Halina; Max Roll as Gimpel / Majorek; Oliver Magor as Ensemble; Erin Rowlatt as Ensemble

CREATIVES:

Author and Composer - Wladyslaw Szpilman; Adapter and Director - Thom Southerland; Musical Supervisor, Orchestrator, and Arranger - Simon Lee; Choreographer and Movement Director - Karen Bruce; Set and Video Designer - Andrzej Goulding; Lighting Designer - Robbie Butler; Costume Designer - Jonathan Lipman; Sound Designer - Gareth Tucker; Musical Director and Copyist - Malcolm Forbes-Peckham; Associate Director - Josh Whatsoze

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 15 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Depictions of antisemitism, severe persecution, starvation, grief, and the systemic violence of the Holocaust; Scenes depicting physical violence, executions, and the psychological trauma of war; Loud sound effects, including simulated gunfire and explosions, to recreate the bombing of Warsaw

AGE GUIDELINE:

11+

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