Musician, writer and broadcaster Neil Brand, (BBC’s The Film Programme, Sound of Cinema, Music that made the Movies) welcomes you to the world of early cinema.

Part of the Ashmolean’s American Cool festival, celebrating American art and culture from the 1920s to 1940s, The Silent Pianist Speaks celebratesthe great filmmakers of the Silent Era and the magic of the accompanists who breathed life and sound into their work.

From the earliest, earthiest comedies and thrillers, through a silent cine-verité classic shot by a young Billy Wilder, to the glories of Hollywood glamour and the sublime Laurel and Hardy. Neil provides improvised accompaniment and laconic commentary on everything from deep focus to his own live cinema disasters.