Silent Film: The Phantom of the Opera @ The Lansdown Hall and Gallery

For the third year running, acclaimed harpist, Elizabeth-Jane Baldry, returns to astonish us with her live accompaniment to a classic silent movie.  The only silent movie harpist in the world, this time she provides the score to one of the cinema’s greatest horror thrillers, the Phantom of the Opera. 

A Gothic tale of obsessive love, loss and death first released almost 100 years ago, it still retains its ability to scare and shock – and Elizabeth-Jane’s score beautifully reflects the emotions conveyed on screen. Protagonist Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre and his iconic look the result of his own creation as, unusually, he was given the freedom to create his own make-up. The scene where Chaney’s mask is ripped away and his disfigured face exposed caused audience members to scream and even faint in its first screening. Be prepared!