ED2013 Interviews ED2013 Music ED2013 Week2 Edition

Worbey And Farrell: Deviating on the keys

By | Published on Monday 12 August 2013

Worbey And Farrell

Worbey And Farrell’s piano recital with a difference tours the world, though feels particularly at home at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Unfortunately they’re only here for a couple more days, but if you can, get in and see their great show ‘Deviations On The Piano’ at The Assembly Rooms before they speed off East. To get you in the mood, we had a very quick chat with the guys to find out more.

CC: So, let’s start with the basics, tell us the Worbey and Farrell story in a sentence!
W&F: We’ve both played the piano from about the aged of three and met at the Royal College Of Music in London.

CC: Where did the idea for the ‘Deviations On The Piano’ show come from?
W&F: Well, the name comes from our composition called ‘Deviations On A Caprice’ – the highlight of the show, we think – so we thought we’d use the word ‘deviation’ in the title of the show too. Because we do rather deviate from the traditional piano recital!

CC: For the uninitiated, what does the show consist of?
W&F: It’s a music-based show. We play the piano in a way seldom seen, with four hands. It’s fun and uplifting. For part of the show we have the keyboard displayed on a screen so all can see the choreography.

CC: How do you choose what music to play? Your repertoire seems pretty eclectic.
W&F: We simply choose the music we love and hope the audience will feel the same. From Bach to Coldplay!

CC: Our reviewer was very taken with the chat element too. Is that an important part of the show for you guys? Is it scripted?
W&F: It is crucial. We like to make friends with the audience; there are far too many concerts where the soloist seems to have no personality. It is organised but never scripted, not least because we never know what the audience are going to come out with.

CC: That camera above the piano that you mentioned is a great touch – does that happen a lot these days at piano recitals? Why did you decide to do it?
W&F: It rarely happens in recitals; sometimes in organ concerts though. Due to the shape of a piano it’s difficult for the whole audience to see the hands and keys, so we decided to use a camera and projector. We’re careful not to do this too much though, as it causes split focus, and we want the audience to watch us too!

CC: How has your Fringe been going so far?
W&F: We’ve had the most amazing time and the response has been phenomenal. We really wish we could stay and perform until the end of the Festival but we have to go to Turkey to perform on 17th. Boo.

CC: Music is a substantial part of the Edinburgh Festival programme, but less high profile than the theatre and comedy. Why do you think that is? Does having a comedy element to your show help?
W&F: Comedy has taken over the Festival in a big way. And why not? Everyone loves a laugh. We think all genres need a certain amount of comedy anyway – even tragedy. We both love comedy and find it a great tool to help us present our music to people who wouldn’t normally listen to it.

CC: You’re only here for a couple more days, how can people enjoy your work outside of the Fringe?
W&F: We’re constantly touring. We’ve hit over 150 countries so far; our website has our tour dates on it and there are more going up very soon.

Worbey And Farrell played at The Assembly Rooms at Edinburgh Festival 2013.

LINKS: www.worbeyandfarrell.com



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