posted 30 April 2012

David Scheel

 

"as funny as any, wittier than most and uniquely, a concert pianist of international stature."
BBC Arts Review

 

Born in Adelaide, David Scheel first tasted success in the UK, starring in the famous satirical News Revue in London's West End. He then turned to devising solo shows, and the result was Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player. An instant hit, sell-out London performances were followed by 3 consecutive Edinburgh Festivals, and the critical acclaim that goes with them. Not surprisingly, David soon found himself a regular on British TV and radio, in addition to touring widely to some 30 countries, and putting in guest appearances with artists as diverse as Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, Eartha Kitt, Ben Elton, Norman Wisdom and Patricia ("Hyacinth Bucket") Routledge.

David performs a hilarious send-up of classical music, which has established this Australian pianist as the natural successor to the legendary Victor Borge. David is a master of improvisation, accents, and down-right beautiful music. Expect to hear anything from a well-known folk tune played in the styles of various famous composers, 2 different pieces played with different hands at the same time, even perhaps a medley of the 20 worst tunes ever written!

His raconteur-style send-ups of the ridiculous include true stories of bad pianos he's had to play, his hilarious translation of the lyrics of Waltzing Matilda (already an established comedy classic), and his latest offering: Everything You Need to Know About Music Explained in 5 Minutes. All this in a huge range of voices and accents, which have led to frequent comparisons with Peter Ustinov, whilst his brilliant musical spoofs on the piano (as well as his serious playing of the instrument) saw him dubbed the new Victor Borge very early on in his career.

The BBC's Arts Review programme described David as being "as funny as any, wittier than most, and, uniquely, a concert pianist of international stature...He stands alone, in a class of his own." Similar accolades came from the US media when he made his American debut 12 years ago, and both the USA and Canada have been firmly on his annual itinerary ever since.

David will be performing at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on Tuesday, 22nd May - it will be an evening not to be missed!