The Piano shares stories and music

Not content with already co-hosting one of the biggest shows on TV, Strictly Come Dancing, in November of last year, Claudia Winkleman also presented viewers with The Traitors.

Although some viewers may have been sceptical at first, it soon had audiences hooked and became one of the most talked-about series of 2022. So, is she about to work her magic again and score another hit with The Piano?

The formats are very different, but like The Traitors, there is an element of subterfuge to The Piano, although it’s all in a much more heart-warming cause.

Essentially, it sees amateur musicians being invited to sit down at pianos in London St Pancras, Leeds, Glasgow and Birmingham train stations so they can share their stories and music with the great British public.

The players are a diverse bunch. They range from 12-year-olds who are playing in public for the first time and people who decided to teach themselves a few tunes to pass the time during lockdown, to ninetysomethings who have been tickling the ivories for 80 years or aspiring composers who have created pieces based on their own life experiences.

What they have all have in common is a love for music – and the ability to stop commuters in their tracks with heartfelt and uplifting performances.

The pianists are under the impression they are taking part in a documentary, and the makers do think that the series will offer a fascinating snapshot of Britain and demonstrate the power of music.

However, there’s a twist. The musicians don’t know that they are also being observed by Lang Lang, who is widely regarded as the greatest classical pianist of the modern era, and platinum-selling pop superstar Mika.

They will pick the best performer from each location and give them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in the more formal surroundings of London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Producer Richard McKerrow believes this series will strike a chord with the public, although rather than talking about The Traitors, he has been drawing comparisons to The Great British Bake Off – and he should know, as he was one of the original executive producers on that show too.

He’s certainly enjoyed conducting The Piano on to the screen, saying: “The making of this brand-new series has been a creatively exhilarating and uplifting experience. We’ve been able to work with such a broad and diverse range of pianists bravely expressing themselves in such a passionate heartfelt way on public pianos in railway stations across the country.”

McKerrow also has nothing but praise for the presenters, saying: “Looked after so generously by Claudia Winkleman and observed by the extraordinary Mika and Lang Lang, this very remarkable trio bring a magical, soulful quality to this television series which we hope feels rare and unusual.”

Now there’s a chance for viewers to find out if they agree as we gather around the old Joanna for the first episode, which comes from in King’s Cross St Pancras.