An Afternoon with Laurel and Hardy (and Neil Brand) …

Neil Brand (pictured above) will tell the touching story of the world’s greatest comedy team – Laurel and Hardy – when he appears at The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, next month.

He will talk about their earliest days on opposite sides of the Atlantic, in Music Hall and on the stage, to their individual comedy films before they were paired up by Hal Roach, and on to their silent masterpieces before the arrival of sound.

 Fully illustrated with stills, clips (both silent and sound) and Neil’s piano accompaniment, the show culminates in two of the Boys’ best silent short films, “Big Business” and “Liberty”.

An acclaimed composer, musician, writer and broadcaster, Neil is a world expert on music for silent film and silent comedy and is a frequent presenter on BBC Four and Radio 4.

He has been accompanying and composing for silent films for over 30 years with scores for early Hitchcock classics such as “Blackmail” and “The Lodger”, and concert works, including BBC adaptations for classic novels such as “A Christmas Carol” and “The Wind in the Willows”.

His original scores are regularly performed live at the Barbican and BFI National Film Theatres, and at film festivals and special events around the world.

“An Afternoon with Laurel and Hardy” is a show that gets under the skin of two warm, funny men who continue to make the world laugh.

You can see it at The Apex on Sunday, November 10, at 2pm. See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for tickets. Or visit The Apex box office in Charter Square Bury St Edmunds.