The Life of a Silent Film Legend Retold through Cinematic Mime
Through the medium of cinematic mime and physical theatre, this high octane fast paced performance follows silent film star Buster Keaton’s journey from childhood through to his late career. Focusing on Buster’s own perspective on what it is to be a performer, his high points, lows, the friends he made along the way, his struggle with alcoholism, and his journey to eventually reaching what he describes as “the happiest time of his life.”
Set to a continuous soundtrack, Buster asks its performers to act as living film; their bodies, faces, and the light around them cut and choreographed with the precision of an edit. The lighting itself is manipulated live as part of the performance, turning stagecraft into a visible extension of the storytelling rather than a backdrop to it.
“It’s a sellotape and scissors kind of show… that punches a ‘cinema’ sensation; technically very simple with the performers lighting the show themselves onstage, miming everything else in this quirky world of Buster. The exciting part is in the details of the sound design, and that every performer must hit each beat perfectly in order to sell the illusion.
There are no stops on this train, no cues – just one track. It joyously feels like a live cartoon, almost. It’s an exciting achievement of what’s possible for the medium of mime and I feel we’re only beginning to scratch the surface. It’s near impossible to showcase the incredible stunts and comedic genius of Buster Keaton, but with a bit of imagination we believe we’ve honoured the man in our own way. Buster is a chance for people to revisit the silent film legend off screen, and for others, it’s an introduction into the genius that had a profound effect on art as we know it today.” – Michael Lynch, Artistic Director.
Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8ES
Date: Wednesday 16 September 2026
Times: 20:30
Running time: 55 minutes, no interval
Tickets: £9.50 – £11.50 — Link to book
Age guidance: 12+
