These days, cinemas are constantly churning out remastered classics, or yet another Marvel movie where the special effects leave little room for a story. Each blockbuster has to be bigger and more successful than its predecessor – at any cost. Quality is often the poor relative to quantity.
In 2019 technology has taken over. Couples sit opposite one another in restaurants tapping to people they haven’t seen for 30 years on mobile phones. Tweets and status updates have replaced talking face to face. We used to all be ‘talkies’ but have now reverted back to communicating in silence. Perhaps it’s time to revisit a land where apples and blackberries were fillings for a pie – not a pocket!
Kieran White, a renowned pianist from York, has created the time machine to take you back to this simpler time by touring his gag-driven re-working of Buster Keaton’s “The General” and “Steamboat Bill Jr”. No TARDIS required.
He shines new light through old windows to create an event engaging to film buffs, historians and musicians alike. His score is far from a predictable collage of Joplin rags – it’s crammed with more comedy references than the Airplane films with lightning-fast references to Coronation Street, Wagner – and even the teddy bears’ picnic.
The nanosecond by nanosecond musical mapping of events on screen add the third dimension with no glasses required. Its relentless pace is a challenge for any pianist’s digits. There are no gaps, no rests, no breaths. Just red hot black and white keys adding infinite colour to black and white pictures.
“The joy of these films is the raw energy. You know that if the stunts went wrong then there would be no take two!”
Kieran’s labour of love to “Break the Silents” and bring them back to life has been met with open arms. Having sold out several nights previously, Kieran’s re-creation of a 1920s picture house has given audiences a step back in time to when sky was the blue thing above the sea and the net was a catching device for fish.
So as the usher takes your ticket and guides you to your seat, sit comfortably and remember… “PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONES!”
Breaking the Silents shows at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre on Saturday 14th September with The General at 2.30pm and Steamboat Bill Jr at 7.30pm. Click here to buy tickets.
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