Daniel Krikler to star in THE PIANIST

Wladyslaw Szpilman’s memoir was the inspiration for Roman Polanski’s Academy Award-winning 2002 film starring Adrien Brody. Szpilman was a Polish Jewish concert pianist living in Warsaw in the 1930s, whose thriving career and peaceful family life is overturned by the Nazi invasion of Poland. Szpilman's family is rounded up and sent to a death camp, but Szpilman is pulled from the train at the last second and forced into hiding in Warsaw.

Written and directed by Thom Southerland (Titanic the Musical), this landmark new production brings this remarkable true story to the stage, featuring Szpilman’s own music with new lyrics and freshly orchestrated by Simon Lee, Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s long time Musical Director. It will mark the first time Szpilman's music and story have been brought together onstage.

The role of Szpilman will be played by Daniel Krikler, who recently appeared in Redcliffe at the Southwark Playhouse, and whose other theatre credits include Wendy and Peter Pan at the Barbican/RSC and Fiddler on the Roof at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre/Barbican.

The creative team is led by adaptor and director Thom Southerland, with new arrangements, musical supervision, and orchestrations by Simon Lee, choreography & movement direction by Karen Bruce, set and video design by Andrzej Goulding, lighting design by Robbie Butler, sound design by Gareth Tucker for Autograph Sound, costume design by Jonathan Lipman, and musical direction by Malcolm Forbes-Peckham.

The production will feature 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, Szpilman’s son Andreas Szpilman, and award-winning lyricist Marcy Heisler.

Before its London opening, the production will play a limited run at Mayflower Studios, Southampton, from 8 to 12 September 2026. It will then premiere at the Park Theatre on 15 October until 28 November 2026.

The Pianist Tickets