Review: FIRST PIANO ON THE MOON, Online @ Perth Theatre

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet Mozart? Fans of the prodigy and those vaguely familiar with one or two of his pieces are sure to enjoy the adventures of pianist and storyteller Will Pickvance in his show, First Piano on the Moon.

First Piano on the Moon, written and performed animatedly by Pickvance, first premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 and has now been adapted for online audiences to enjoy via Zoom!

Using a clever mix of handheld and static cameras, the pianist takes you on a journey from his studio to Salzburg and beyond, under Lu Kemp's direction. The plot has a lovely balance of intrigue, silliness and sincerity, with plenty of musical interludes engaging and enticing the audience. He cleverly crafts chase scenes without budging from his piano stool.

Fee Dalgleish's lighting design ensures that we see Pickvance's rapid runs and other party tricks on the piano in the best light. The musicianship and ability to jump across genres is certainly impressive. The potted history of music is a particular highlight.

Jonathan Charles provided consultation to Tim Reid's animations, including illustrations by Tim Vincent Smith, which overlay the footage of Pickvance adding nice flourishes to the storytelling - one young audience member was particularly impressed by these that they asked how they were done in the post-show Q&A.

Ritchie Young and John Sharp's technical design ensures a fairly slick delivery of the show over Zoom with very few glitches.

Pickvance is clearly at his happiest when at the piano. His love of the instrument and enthusiasm for the maestro is evident, with an almost overwhelming rapid-fire gushing about the young prodigy and the impact the classical composer has clearly had on the show's creator.

A magical fifty minutes of musical storytelling billed for people aged 7+ years, First Piano on the Moon is just charming.

First Piano on the Moon was performed online at Perth Theatre on 13 March

Photo credit: Peter Dibdin

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