Anatomy of the Piano

By Amy Stow

Anatomy of the Piano, written and performed by Will Pickvance, is a captivating and imaginative piece of storytelling, giving a tongue-in-cheek description of the piano both as a piece of furniture and as a living being with emotions and corresponding body parts. The grand piano is depicted as having a spine, and pianos in general are personified, and given mouths with teeth. The story, interwoven throughout beautifully played sonatas, starts with the longing of a young boy for a space ship from Father Christmas. Alas, instead he receives a piano, and what follows is one man’s journey into the musical unknown, resulting in a love letter to his piano, and pianos of all kinds.

The descriptions given by our narrator are enhanced with simple drawings on an overhead projector, and are made more humorous and accessible with rhymes and songs, not unlike the style of Victoria Wood. There are also appropriate short bursts of piano tunes from this extraordinarily talented pianist. I was smiling all the way through this family show, which was entertaining and funny yet at the same time recognising the skill and expertise of the musician.

Whilst the show may be a little on the long side, and my attention dipped on occasion, it was touching to see how much Pickvance’s relationship with the piano means to him. Music is clearly his whole life, and being such an accomplished player, it is easy to see why. Anatomy of the Piano galvanised me (and several other members of the audience, I don’t doubt) to dust down my own forgotten keyboard and start to play once again, in the hope of achieving the same love and talent for piano playing as Pickvance.

★★★★

Anatomy of the Piano

20:20 (1 hour)

Summerhall

Until August 24th

@PostScriptJour

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