The Kennington Bioscope is a regular cinema event featuring live accompaniment to silent films that takes place at the Cinema Museum.

Strolling Players / Komödianten (1925) Germany. Directed by Karl Grune. 35mm BFI print – only known version to survive. Written by Felix Salten (the author of Bambi), and photographed by Karl Hasselmann, it stars Lya de Putti, Eugen Klöpfer and Fritz Rasp.

A band of strolling players arrive in the village of Gotten. Their crude performance of Faust arouses derision of the audience to the great distress of their leading lady, Lydia Welling (Lya de Putti), an aspiring young actress. In contrast, a successful actor of the metropolis, Alex Swinborne (Eugen Klöpfer), finishes a season and leaves for a holiday…

The first part of the programme features:

Going Straight (1916) Chester M. Franklin, Sidney Franklin. With Norma Talmadge, Ralph Lewis, Ninon Fovieri, Francis Carpenter.

A man and his wife both have criminal pasts, but have quit crime and are now respectable citizens. One day a member of their old gang shows up and threatens to expose them if they don’t help him pull a heist.

One of the few films of Norma Talmadge that have survived, with this version having been taken direct from a 35mm nitrate British release print.

The programme is introduced by Michelle Facey. Piano accompaniment for Strolling Players / Komödianten will come from Cyrus Gabrysch, and Colin Sell will be playing for Going Straight.

Silent film with intertitles which may be suitable for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Tickets & Pricing

£7. Seats are limited, so please arrive early or request an invitation using the email kenbioscope@gmail.com.