Manchester Camerata playing live to screening of Charlie Chaplin classic The Kid at culture hub

A Manchester orchestra is teaming up with a leading city centre arts hub to screen a classic silent film with live musical accompaniment.

The Manchester Camerata will be providing the soundtrack on the spot to a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s much-loved work The Kid at HOME.

A 16-piece ensemble will be at the culture venue, located between Deansgate and Oxford Road stations, and will perform live the soundtrack which was written by Chaplin himself.

Released in 1921, The Kid was Chaplin’s first full-length feature film and is now regarded as a landmark work in silent cinema.

Its opening title: “A comedy with a smile–and perhaps a tear”, sums up its blend of laughter and pathos as it tells the story of how Chaplin’s immortal Tramp character finds a new-born baby abandoned with nothing but a note in his basket and takes him under his wing.

The Tramp and the Kid become partners in crime and develop an irreplaceable bond, but this is then put in jeopardy five years later when the Kid’s young mother reappears on the scene.

The event is on Thursday 16 June at 7.30pm and extra tickets for the upper circle at HOME have now gone on sale.

Tickets are £17 at full price, £13.50 for concessions and £5 for students. Book or find out more on HOME’s website here.

Manchester Camerata is currently celebrating a half a century of music-making with a programme that blends masterpieces from the world of classical music with adventurous collaborations and cross-genre work.

Screening films with live musical accompaniment has become increasingly popular in recent years, with everything from live orchestras playing the soundtracks to blockbusters to organ recitals with silent films.