Brighton: Symphony of a City

Lizzie Thynne film director
Ed Hughes composer & conductor
Orchestra of Sound and Light

Brighton in all its festive, bohemian, campaigning glory has inspired a remarkable fusion of silent film and live music by filmmaker Lizzie Thynne and composer Ed Hughes.

Drawing on such precedents as Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 silent classic Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, this new film depicts a day in the life of the city, darting back and forth through time to encompass archive film of the lost glories and contemporary events that have defined Brighton’s profile as the UK’s most vibrant location. This kaleidoscope of local identity is accompanied by a sumptuous symphonic score performed live by Orchestra of Sound and Light.

Our evening includes two classic silent films from the 1920s, and showcases pianist Neil Brand, whose wealth of experience brings these treasures to life. Rarely shown, Laurel and Hardy’s Liberty is seen here alongside Harold Lloyd’s Never Weaken, featuring all the thrills, spills and laughs typical of these silent screen masters.