By REBECCA BILLS
A CHANCE to transport back in time to the heyday of silent movies accompanied by jazz band The Sound of Silent is being brought to Belgrave.
The Cameo Theatre will be hosting the group in their outdoor cinema as they accompany the 1928 silent comedy Steamboat Bill Jnr starring icon Buster Keaton.
The Sounds of Silent is a five-piece ensemble featuring some of Melbourne’s most versatile and accomplished musicians who recreate the silent movie experience from the ’20s and ’30s with fun, improvised performances.
The group is dedicated to helping audiences rediscover the great movies of the time by recreating the cinema experience of days gone by.
Musical director of The Sounds of Silent Martin Zakharov said Buster Keaton is one of the great figures of film history.
“It’s amazing to see how enjoyable his work is nearly a century later,” he said.
“We aim to give the audience a sense of the atmosphere that was experienced in the ’20s as the new technology of cinema swept the world.
“We feature many well-known pieces from that era as well as drawing on more recent compositions – the music is performed with a line-up and style typical of that period.”
Mr Zakharov said the group has been performing in this capacity for nearly three years and said the challenge for them as performers was that they are not just playing a song, they are playing the song to fit to a particular scene.
“When that scene changes, so do we,” he said.
“I think the live music does add a different character to the experience.
“It’s been fascinating to discover what a different experience it becomes to watch silent movies in a ‘live’ atmosphere.”
The performance at the Cameo Outdoor Cinema will be completely acoustic using the original instruments that would have been used in the 1920s and ’30s.
“Back then, silent movies weren’t actually silent, as cinema audiences were always able to enjoy live music that enriched their viewing of each movie,” Mr Zakharov said.
“Steamboat Bill Jnr is a classic of cinema history, and definitely enjoyable for all age groups.
“Keaton is one of the great writers and performers of the twentieth century, and a comedy spectacular like this isn’t quickly forgotten.”
The Sounds of Silent are taking Buster Keaton and their show to the “Taste of Tasmania” festival in January but hope to be back at the Cameo for another show soon.
The screening of the 1928 Steamboat Bill Jnr with live jazz from The Sounds of Silent is at the Cameo Outdoor Theatre, 1628 Burwood Highway, Belgrave, on Friday 20 December at 8.30pm.
Tickets are available online and at the box office. For more information, visit www.cameocinemas.com.au or phone 9754 7844.
