I went behind scenes of C4’s The Piano – everything you don’t see on TV, from Claudia’s private room to secret retakes
IT is the show that captured the hearts of the nation when it became an unexpected runaway hit last year. With a second series of The Piano set to debut this weekend, The Sun’s Jake Penkethman took a trip to Liverpool to see how the phenomenal programme is made.
It was like any other normal February afternoon at Liverpool Lime Street with the normal hustle and bustle of passengers to-ing and fro-ing from one platform to the next.
That was until you heard the twinkle of piano keys flood the train station’s entrance hall.
For many in Liverpool, I expect most didn’t think they’d see a great big Steinway placed in the very heart of the station with Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman grinning from ear-to-ear beside it.
It was that moment where families, couples and mums with their children gasped as they realised it was The Piano being filmed for Channel 4.
The Piano is a programme which welcomes ordinary folk and allows them the chance to show off their musical talent to the people on a railway station piano.
Hidden away are superstars Mika and Lang Lang who at the end of play get to decide one lucky pianist from each location they visit, the chance to perform in an epic concert hall in front of paying members of the public.
Everything about The Piano’s production is very authentic and real.
Having been privileged to be invited by Channel 4 to watch the filming take place, it allowed a real insight into the making of such a public-facing programme.
Whilst many shows would recoil at the thought of allowing the public to swan through their set and post the results immediately on social media, The Piano thrives off that inviting energy.
Passers-by and hurrying businessmen aiming to dash for their train are allowed to stand for a moment and watch someone play a stunning piece of music as well as grab a quick pic of Claudia and her trademark fringe to show off to their friends on Instagram or Facebook.
But as with any production, there are countless things that don’t make it to the screens and some of them might just surprise you.
Claudia’s secret room
When it comes to TV presenters – you don’t get much better than Claudia Winkleman.
Her unique charm, wit and humour makes her the standout on any production she becomes aligned with.
She’s the perfect choice for The Piano as her rapport with the public is so effortless and she is able to make anyone feel at ease.
Ask the dozens of toddlers and children who flock to her in between performances even though they are unlikely to realise just how big of a star she is!
However, even Claudia needs to take a break from the endless queues of people waiting for selfies.
When there is a few moments downtime in between performance, effortlessly Claudia is escorted by a burly minder to a little room out of view from the public.
The transition happens with no fanfare with the security guard appearing (and disappearing with the star) in a flash.
For many they wouldn’t even notice she had been escorted away but for the eagle-eyed amongst us – you can see her dashing away, off to the sidelines.
Nothing fake about it
I did wonder if the programme would make use of ‘audience plants‘ – people hired to stand and watch the performances and pretend to be members of the public.
Alas, that was certainly not the case.
From those who only managed to catch 15 seconds to the ladies who decided to settle down on the train station’s (not that comfortable) seats for what essentially turns out to be a free concert – everyone there is watching along as they want to be.
You can see friends looking at each other in awe at some of the talent on display.
There’s even a few clearly desperate to make it in shot as they cleverly move to wherever the camera is positioned but that’s all part of the fun of being at a TV recording.
Claudia also interacts with those around her as if she is just a passer-by too as she can be seen remarking on some of the formidable pianists to the lucky person she chooses to stand next to – which is another decision that is totally her call.
Claudia told me afterwards that some of her favourite instances are when people purposefully miss their trains having been so mesmerised by the dazzling performances.
Recalling one particular instance, she said: “My favourite is when somebody misses a train on purpose, and that has happened a few times in series one and in series two in Glasgow, that was my favourite thing.
“There were two teachers and the whole gang of kids and they were going on a school trip and I think it was the third performance.
“Anyway, it was really beautiful and she turned to me and she went, ‘nah, we’ll get the next one’ and texted the school going ‘tell parents it’ll be 15 minutes later for pick up.’
“They all just sat on the floor and had their packed lunches.”
Clever re-takes
Something that might come as a bit of a surprise is that every performer gets to play their songs twice.
During each slot, the lucky member of the public playing is walked straight to the Steinway and has a chat with Claudia with cameras pointing all over them.
After 10 minuets or so of chatter, Claudia dashes to the side as the performance takes hold.
When it’s all done, and everyone is left clapping and cheering, the production staff highly encourage everyone to stick around to watch the song being performed once again.
The second performance is the exact same song but is done more for the TV cameras than the public.
Whichever shots were missed first time around are focused upon on the second go and most often involve the cameraman standing right by the piano keys alongside the player.
The new series
The Piano was only ever meant to be a one-off with Claudia telling me that she was left stunned when she was asked to come back for a second time around but admitted she couldn’t turn down the opportunity.
Across the Channel 4 series, fans will see The Piano travel around the UK finding talent to perform at a concert.
Last year the event took place at London’s Royal Festival Hall but this year, those lucky few will show off their talents to a crowd in Manchester later this year.
I had the chance to witness a number of performers in Liverpool and have already made my bets as to who will lift the crown for the city, now all I have to do is tune in and find out if I’m right.
The Piano launches tonight at 9pm on Channel 4 and continues each Sunday night. It is available to stream on the Channel 4 website and app.
