Two of silent cinema’s greatest railway chase movies with live, improvised piano and percussion.
The Great Train Robbery is a twelve-minute escapade which wowed audiences in 1903 and still packs a punch 120 years later.
The General, from 1926, is Buster Keaton’s greatest achievement – both a brilliantly staged Civil War epic and a perfect comedy-thriller. Keaton plays a railroad engineer Johnny Gray, who loves his locomotive, The General. When it’s stolen by Yankees, he sets out to get it back and epic, action-packed chase ensues. Based on a true story, The General is packed full of beautiful visual comedy, daring stunts, and nail-biting dramatic tension.
Acclaimed silent film musicians Jonny Best (piano) and Trevor Bartlett (percussion) will bring to life this pair of silent cinema’s most famous railway chase movies. Jonny performs all over the UK as a soloist and with the improvising quartet, Frame Ensemble. Trevor is also a member of Frame Ensemble, and performs with a number of chamber ensembles.
Presented by Northern Silents
7.30pm The Great Train Robbery
7.45pm Interval (10 minutes)
7.50pm The General
9.15pm End Time (approx.)
Get 15% off when you book for both this and The Passion of Joan of Arc – Film with Live Music in the same transaction. Discount will be automatically applied during the booking process.
Jonny Best
Image credit Chris Payne
Trevor Bartlett
Image credit Timm Cleasby
