The Piano Man by AllThePigs

AllthePigs | THE PIANO MAN
New Diorama Theatre


Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 November 2014

PRESS NIGHT: TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm

•Based on the real-life mystery of ‘The Piano Man’ Andreas Grassl.
•Actor Daniel Hallissey learned to play Tchaikovsky from scratch to portray titular character
•The Piano Man premieres at New Diorama Theatre prior to national tour in 2015

Known for working with new writers and rediscovering modern gems, AllthePigs Theatre Company introduce their first full-length devised show, The Piano Man, at New Diorama Theatre on Tuesday 11 November. The production is based on the real-life story of Andreas Grassl; a young man found wandering the seaside in sodden wet, unmarked clothes and appeared unable to remember his own identity or even speak but was somehow able to play the piano extremely well. The mystery stimulated a worldwide scramble to identify 'The Piano Man’.

In an extraordinary feat, actor Daniel Hallissey, who will be portraying Grassl will be performing Tchaikovsky live in the production, having never touched a piano prior to preparing for the role. He has been teaching himself using a borrowed Casio keyboard from a local school and YouTube videos.

Following their previous successes at New Diorama Theatre, The Piano Man represents an entirely new challenge for AllthePigs. Artistic Director Sam Carrack said:

“We are known for taking stories that other people have written and turning them into great pieces of theatre. With The Piano Man we are taking the real-life stories of real-life individuals and making them into an honest and compelling theatre. It's an honour to be able to give these people a voice.”

The production is also the first in which the team behind AllthePigs play an explicitly creative role. Assistant Director and performer Sarah Bradnum said:

“As a company exclusively made up of actors it's exciting to be able to tell this story ourselves. We've never been more creative than we are together, and it’s exciting to be moving forward as a team.”