Piccadilly, a black and white silent film with an introduction by John Shapcott and live accompaniment by pianist Ashley Thompson.
Directed by Ewald André Dupont, with a screenplay by Arnold Bennett, the Jazz Age film Piccadilly (1929) contrasts London’s glamorous West End night life with a threatening Limehouse underworld. Martin Scorsese calls it ‘Bold, beautifully crafted…one of the truly great films of the silent era’. Anna May Wong’s performance as the scullery maid who becomes an overnight cabaret sensation made her the first Chinese American super star, whilst giving the film classic status.
Ashley Thompson’s live musical accompaniment recreates the immediacy of music and image that made silent cinema so magical.