Written by Lauren
Rating: 5
VERIFIED
As a London Month of the Dead regular, I was chuffed to have an event around Christmas. The performance was fantastic and the atmosphere was perfect!
Description
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Live Music, Something A Little Different and Theatre/Arts
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Tickets from £15.00
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Over 18
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Fri, 24th Oct 2025 @ 19:00 - 21:00
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19:00 - 21:00
Join us in the beautiful atmospheric surrounds of the candlelit Georgian Guys Chapel for an evening of readings, super rare films and music, in Guys Hospital Chapel, celebrating the father of the horror story, Edgar Allan Poe.
The pit is a locus of terror and torture from the medieval imaginary - a dark, deep, liminal space between life and the torments of hell, where hope is the ultimate torment. Several of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous stories explore the borderlines of life and death in a way that has remained powerfully in the public imagination for nearly two centuries. His haunting imagery has been used by filmmakers from the earliest days of the medium - many of them are lost - but here we present some surviving gems from the silent era of film with atmospheric music from the internationally acclaimed silent film accompanist and composer Stephen Horne, with introductions and readings of excerpts of Poe’s words by Bryony Dixn of the BFI
‘Premature Burial’ and ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ (UK 1927)
Directed, written by and starring L. Castleton Knight.
A man reading Poe’s ‘Premature Burial’ falls asleep and dreams of being buried alive.
Edgar Allan Poe (US 1909)
Directed by D.W. Griffith
As Poe’s wife is dying, he is inspired to write his most famous work ‘The Raven’ to try to earn enough for food and medicine.
Fall of the House of Usher (US 1928)
Dir. by James Sibley Watson. Avant garde, expressionist treatment of Poe’s gothic tale of catalepsy and decline.
Conte Cruel (FR 1930)
Dir. Gaston Modot. A stunning adaptation of a story, ‘The Torture of Hope’ by French writer Auguste de Villiers de l’Isle-Adam who was inspired by Poe’s Spanish Inquisition story, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’.
Stephen Horne
Stephen Horne has
long been internationally considered one of the leading silent film
accompanists. A house pianist at London’s BFI Southbank for over
thirty years, he has played at all the major UK venues and recorded
music for scores of films. Although principally a pianist, he often
incorporates other instruments into his performances, sometimes
simultaneously. He regularly performs internationally and in recent
years his accompaniments have met with acclaim at film festivals in
Europe, North America and Asia. In 2011 and 2012, he was
commissioned to compose ensemble scores for the London Film
Festival Archive Galas of 'The First Born' and 'The Manxman'. And
every year since 2014, he has won in one or more categories in the
annual Silent London poll.
Bryony Dixon
Bryony Dixon is a curator at the BFI National Archive,
specialising in silent film and early cinema. She has led numerous
restoration and preservation projects, bringing rare and forgotten
films back to life for modern audiences. Bryony is also a published
author, speaker, and broadcaster on the subject of film history,
with a particular interest in the cultural and social context of
early filmmaking. Her expertise has made her a leading figure in
the revival of silent cinema, and she frequently collaborates with
musicians, academics, and institutions worldwide to present silent
films with live accompaniment and historical
insight.
Offers
Promotions
Tickets/Times
| Ticket | Event time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
In the Pit with Poe
|
19:00 - 21:00 | £15.00 |
Location
Address
Guys Hospital Chapel, Entrance via the Courtyard, St. Thomas Street, London, SE1 9GU
Nearest Station
London Bridge (Tube)
Getting there
Organiser
A Curious Invitation and Antique Beat
Each year, Antique Beat and A Curious Invitation host London Month of the Dead, a festival of over 60 different events to inform, provoke and entertain on teh subject of mortality and the city.
Events include walks, talks, workshops, theatrical performances, storytelling, live-scored films, concerts, and visits to secret parts of the city.
Subjects span the cultural landscape from the forensic to the esoteric with an unparalleled range of speakers, performers, guides and experts.
Each year, London Month of the Dead donates 20% of ticket revenue to one of London's magnificent seven cemeteries.
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