David Scheel - Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player

DAVID SCHEEL is a true Australian success story. So much so that he is regarded internationally as one of the finest solo musical comedy performers in the world. Moreover, he happens to live in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, and the principal service town for that area is Penrith, which also boasts a 550 seat theatre which is always sold out whenever David performs there. So his connection to Penrith, Cumbria, is very strong indeed, especially as he has performed in Cumbria many times.

Born in Adelaide, David first tasted success in England, starring in the famous satirical News Revue in Londons West End. He then turned to devising solo shows, and the result was DONT SHOOT ME, IM 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, Jay Leno (in Los Angeles), Norman Wisdom and Patricia (Hyacinth Bucket) Routledge.

In DAVID SCHEELs concerts you can expect to hear anything from a well-known folk tune played in the styles of various famous composers plus an i-Pod mini (!), 2 different pieces played with different hands at the same time, and a medley of the 20 worst tunes ever written. His raconteur-style send-ups of the ridiculous include true stories of bad pianos hes had to play, sharp-edged commentary on the celeb lives of the Kardashians, Paris Hilton & Co., and equally topical digs at politicians. His hilarious translation of the lyrics of Waltzing Matilda is already an established comedy classic, and its set to be joined by 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 BBCs Arts Review programme described David as being as funny as any, wittier than most, and, uniquely, a concert pianist of international statureHe stands alone, in a class of his own. Similar accolades came from the US media when he made his American debut 17 years ago, and both the USA and Canada have been firmly on his annual itinerary ever since.

David is perhaps the only classical musician to be invited to perform at major international comedy festivals, and, equally, the only comedian to perform regularly at classical music festivals, and his seasons at these have been consistently sold out.

David is very much looking forward to performing at the Penrith Theatre on Sunday 17th May 2020.
Visit www.davidscheel.com
A Master of the keyboard [The Sunday Times, London]
The only show in town that can satisfy lovers of classical music and stand-up comedy alike. [San Francisco Chronicle]