Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Opening Night Spotlight: Phantom of the Opera (1925) with Live Score by Minima
This November, we’re kicking off Norwich Film Festival 2025 with something truly special. On Monday 3rd November, we’re heading back in time — but with a twist.
Join us at Norwich Playhouse for a one-of-a-kind 100th anniversary screening of the 1925 silent horror classic The Phantom of the Opera, complete with a live score performed by acclaimed instrumental quartet Minima. It’s haunting, it’s beautiful, it’s bold — and it sets the tone for a festival that champions the unexpected.
Tickets are on sale now, and trust us – just like last year’s performance of Nosferatu, this event will sell out fast!
Watch the trailer below:
A Masterpiece Reimagined
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American silent horror film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney in the title role of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.
Phantom of the Opera
For nearly a century, Rupert Julian’s film has mesmerised audiences with its gothic beauty and eerie grandeur. With Lon Chaney’s iconic performance as the disfigured Phantom — a role he designed the makeup for himself — the film remains one of the most influential horror films of all time.
But what elevates this experience is Minima’s electrifying live score, performed in the room with you. Known for their bold reinterpretations of silent classics (Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari), Minima’s sound is post-punk, cinematic, and utterly immersive. Their live accompaniment turns a silent film into a visceral, live performance — part film screening, part concert, all atmosphere. Live instruments will include cello, double bass, guitars, synthesiser and drums.
If you’ve never experienced a silent film with live music, this is the one to start with. And if you have, you’ll know this is not to be missed.
Why Start the Festival This Way?
NFF has always aimed to do things a little differently. Yes, we’re proud to be a BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festival. Yes, we screen some of the best new short films from around the world. But we also believe in cinema as a shared, physical experience — something that invites audiences to see familiar stories in new ways.
Opening with Phantom lets us connect the dots between cinema’s earliest forms and its most exciting contemporary voices. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a reminder that innovation has always been part of the DNA of great filmmaking — and great festivals.
Aftert last year’s fantastic screening of Nosferatu with Minima’s thrilling live score, we had such positive feedback from audiences that we decided to make this spectacular event the opening of this year’s festivities.
When and Where
🗓 Date: Monday 3rd November 2025
📍 Venue: Norwich Playhouse
🎟 Tickets:
- 22nd April: On sale for Gold Friends, Corporate Members, and Playhouse Supporters
- 23rd April: Available for Friends of Norwich Playhouse
- 25th April: General public tickets released
👉 All tickets are sold via the Norwich Theatre website.
Who Are Minima?
Based in Bristol, Minima are four musicians who have made it their mission to re-score silent film with a contemporary edge. Their sound — a fusion of drums, cello, guitar and bass — has been described as “spine-tingling and original” by The Guardian.
Minima
They’ve performed at the Barbican, Glastonbury, and countless independent venues across the UK. Their score for Phantom is dynamic, eerie, and rich in texture — sometimes sparse and haunting, sometimes rhythmic and propulsive. In short: it breathes new life into a silent classic.
Last year’s most talked about event at NFF2024 was their incredible live score to the classic film Nosferatu. We’re thrilled to have them back again for this anniversary screening.
Live performance of Nosferatu at NFF2024
Live performance of Nosferatu at NFF2024
What It Says About This Year’s Festival
Our 2025 programme will be revealed in full later this year, but Phantom gives you a clue. Expect the unexpected. Expect work that blends craft, originality, and risk. And expect to see filmmakers who are just as fearless in their own ways as Lon Chaney was a hundred years ago.
We can’t wait to welcome audiences back into cinemas, and we’re especially thrilled to open with a celebration of cinema as performance, collaboration, and living art.
Join Us
This opening night is more than just a film — it’s an event. Come with friends. Bring someone new to silent cinema. Or treat yourself to something beautifully different on a Monday night.
And if you’re a filmmaker reading this, we hope it reminds you of why festivals matter. We’re here not just to screen films, but to celebrate them — across genres, formats, and time. See you at the Playhouse!
Get your tickets before it’s too late!
