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The Bear Pit Theatre
Postcode: CV37 6LU
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View Map (Rother Street, CV37 6LU)The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) + Live Score by Flights of Helios at the Midnight Riyaz
Presented by Big Picture Show/Moving Pictures
Performance date and time
Sunday, 31st August 2025
2:30 PM
Don’t miss this unique live score screening of Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which is the oldest surviving animated feature film in the world! This unique and wondrous film draws on The Arabian Nights (also known as One Thousand and One Nights), telling the story of a young royal who is tricked by a wicked sorcerer into flying a magical horse to far-away lands. Along the way he befriends a witch, meets Aladdin, battles demons and falls in love with a princess. Oxford-based group Flights of Helios at The Midnight Riyaz will be performing their original music score to Reiniger’s evocative, inventive visuals. Inspired by her childhood obsession with Chinese silhouette puppets and the magical trick films of George Méliès, Reiniger became renowned as the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Her innovative paper cutout style relied on fluid, expressive gestures to convey emotion and action rather than facial expressions or anatomical accuracy. Flights of Helios have played Glastonbury, Wilderness and Truck Festival, and been played on BBC 6 Music, XFM and more. Flights of Helios at the Midnight Riyaz is the acoustic offshoot to the original band, retaining the love of drone and atmosphere and introducing a wider palette, combining tabla and other Indian percussion, ethereal vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, violin and flute.
Praise for the original live score:
"A truly wonderful experience!" - Ultimate Picture Palace cinema, Oxford
“That was simply incredible, especially the drummer! Wow!” - Audience member
Praise for Flights of Helios:
"A thing of beauty" - The Line of Best Fit
“An extraordinary live spectacle, the band present a hypnotic presence which draws the audience into their world.” - Oxford Mail
"Musical grandeur that echoes the more expansive works of Radiohead or Pink Floyd." - God Is In The TV
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Performer's website
www.liveandlocal.org.uk
Running time
1 hr 5 mins
Audience Type
Parental Guidance (PG)
Ticket Prices
£5.00 (Recommended) or Pay-As-You-Feel
Main Box Office Telephone Number
Online Sales Only
Available From
Recommended price of £5 or Pay-As-You-Feel. Available on the door or online.
Venue Accessibility (See Key for more information)
Live & Local affirms that when a disabled person’s access requirements necessitate them being accompanied to a performance, that person and their personal assistant should be able to purchase two tickets at a total cost of no more than the cost of a one full-priced ticket. Promoters are advised that this is best practice that is now supported by an established legal precedent.
Venue accessibility information not available.
This performance is supported by:
