It seems incredible that the all-time classic climbing film, Hard Grit, is almost twenty years old this year. And in a spirit of milking the past for all it's worth, some of the people behind the film are getting together for a once-in-a-lifetime live event in Sheffield to remember the fun and spirit that went into the film, and the climbs that it spawned. April 1st – this ain’t no joke.

The night is set to be as classic as the film. The stars of the film, Seb Grieve and Neil Bentley amongst others, and film-maker, Rich Heap, will be joined on stage with the film’s history narrator, Niall Grimes. Together they will tell the tales around the film, take a look behind the scenes, remember what was left out and talk about what came after. In between the stories you can watch many of the most exciting sections of the film on an enormous screen.

The event is fixed to be full of entertainment. Doors will open at 18.30, well ahead of the show, to give a chance for all the Hard-Grit era climbers who are getting dragged out of the woodwork a chance to catch up. There will be live 1990s-era DJs before and after the event. There will be pub quizzes, raffles, special guests, and all manner of silly goings on. The show will run from about 8 o’clock 'til 10, after which you can hang around, drink beer, meet old friends, meet the stars and party like it’s 1997.

And the venue itself is special. The Abbeydale Picture House will be known by anyone who went to the BMC’s Alex Honnold talk there. It is a century-old cinema where the ghosts of old movies haunt every corner, and no more than 200m from the all-time classic Sheffield climbers’ pub, The Broadfield.

WATCH: Hard Grit Live Trailer on BMC TV

The evening is also a resurrection of the old Ape Index nights, Sheffield’s classic series of lecture nights that ran to a crammed house in the back of the Lescar Hotel over the winters of 2000 to 2002. People still talk about these nights; some people still owe their entry money. We know who you are!

We are also planning to have a mobile pizza-wagon outside to feed hungry travellers.

Ape Index: Hard Grit Live
Saturday 1 April, Abbeydale Picture House, Sheffield, S7 1FS
Doors 18.00; show 20.00; music 'til midnight
Tickets cost £14/12.

BUY: Your tickets here

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