Rainer Hersch is a comedian and musician who has performed on every major comedy stage in Britain and abroad. He has appeared thirteen times at the Edinburgh Festival, had numerous comedy-concert series at the South Bank in London, featured in comedy clubs all across Europe and in TV shows around the world.
Rainer’s career in comedy started as a schoolboy in London. When he wasn’t playing the piano, he used to watch Monty Python and dream of doing the ‘Argument Clinic’ sketch.
He went to university and studied Economics. This was definitely a mistake. If someone told him now he only had three months to live, he has always said he would go back to university and do another degree in Economics because, like that, three months would seem like an absolute eternity.
The Rainer Hersch Orkestra
One of Rainer Hersch’s most exciting musical adventures features him as conductor of his own nine piece orchestra with a zany offering of musical comedy and wit guaranteed to have the audiences rolling in the aisles. Rainer Hersch and his classical ‘Orkestra’ communicates, connects and corrupts some of the great works of classical music. A popular highlight is when Rainer invites members of the audience to participate in a conducting competition with hilarious results!
Testimonials:
"At last a musical comedian with a difference – he is really funny"
– The Daily Telegraph, UK
"Victor Borge for a new generation"
– The Times, UK
"The musical world on its head. That’s exactly what the brilliant Beethoven Orchestra Bonn achieved at the highest musical level under the direction of Rainer Hersch"
– General Anzeiger, Germany
"A music comic with intelligent humour who created a storm of laughter…"
– Basler Zeitung, Switzerland
"The world’s first classical music hooligan"
– Vancouver Sun, Canada
"… but perhaps the greatest trick of the entire night was making a classical symphony concert the coolest – and funkiest – show in town"
– Winnipeg Free Press, Canada"
"Rainer Hersch has found a true comedy goldmine"
– The Australian
"Hersch has done a brilliant job of creating contemporary comedy from a style of music often perceived as fusty and elitist…glorious"
– 3 News, New Zealand
"Part one-man theatre piece, part live biography, part stand-up, part piano bash and totally terrific"
– New Zealand Herald
"Roll over Beethoven, here’s Hersch"
– Singapore Straits Times
