The internationally acclaimed pianists and supreme showmen, Worbey & Farrell have entertained all over the globe and achieved millions of hits on YouTube with their sparky comedy and sensational piano-playing. Now they return to Brighton Dome this March as part of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Sunday afternoon concert series, bringing their own unique style to the world’s greatest music.
“We like to think of the piano as a symphony orchestra” said Steven Worbey. “We like to utilise the piano to its full potential.”
Having performed everywhere from the Royal Opera House to the maiden voyage of Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 to ITV’s This Morning, their work is diverse, ranging from a two-month sell-out run in Vienna of the Canadian smash-hit play, Two Pianos Four Hands, to performing in shows with the late Mickey Rooney in the USA. In 2018 they made their debut with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra playing Malcolm Arnold’s Piano Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals.
Each of the pieces performed in this concert is a unique arrangement which can take months to finesse. Their version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, described by Worbey as “very rhapsodic!”, took a year to orchestrate. With Prokofiev’s classic Peter & the Wolf, the audience are told to expect a very different ending. “It’s Peter & the Wolf with a difference” says Kevin Farrell. “It’s normally set in Russia; ours is set in Doncaster.”
Expect a show for all the family, as Worbey & Farrell give the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra the weekend off and take centre stage on their single piano stool. The programme includes their own version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Addinsell’s iconic Warsaw Concerto, Prokofiev’s Peter & the Wolf, the theme from Ladies in Lavender and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
You’ve probably never seen a piano played like this before, so be prepared to be moved, excited and amazed with the sheer ingenuity and style of these masters of musical mayhem.
Tickets £14.50-£42.50 (50% student/under 18’s discount) from Brighton Dome Ticket Office, (01273) 709709, www.brightondome.org
Discounted parking (just £6 between 1 & 6pm) available at NCP Church Street car park.