Moments of Weightlessness

I developed my unique ‘Inside-Out Piano’ to explore the belly of the instrument and to coax out some of its hidden sounds. In Moments of Weightlessness, I tell the story of the birth of my first child, Stan, whilst unveiling why I built my piano and how I’ve got to grips with this surprising instrument.  I was amazed when the piano was built as an instrument that could swing like a clock, by the nature of the frame that holds it 2.5m high, and I saw a metaphorical parallel with the surprises that having children brings. In the show, I explore the extraordinary and unexpected characteristics of the instrument, moving it around the stage to gradually reveal my parallel journey into motherhood.

“Combining a narrative of motherhood with groundbreaking experiments in piano playing, Sarah Nicolls has created a masterpiece of performance art.

Light-hearted and delicate though never glib, Moments of Weightlessness had much to convey with regards to a person’s complete immersion into their experiences.  The inside-out piano was an Erard straight-strung grand, upturned to meet the keys at a 90-degree angle.  With its extraordinary, complicated anatomy confronting the audience, Nicolls played a soundtrack of her own composition that was contemporary and innovative without sacrificing the generous, arching drama of classical style.

With the aid of a crank, the instrument was swiftly rotated. Imagine Chopin – there are no instantly recognisable female precedents – lying on the floor, playing Ballade In G Minor sideways with his leg in the air to reach the pedal, occasionally springing up to meet a child’s constant needs.  The depiction of the absurdity to be found in combining the roles of pianist and mother could not have been delivered with more acuity than it was in Nicolls’ physical work.

The personal narrative was one striking feature. The transformation of piano from percussion to string instrument, from imposing musical apparatus to child’s plaything created something special indeed.”

– Kirsty Levett, The Argus (First published Thursday 11 December 2014 in The Critic)