IT’S a light he hoped would never go out. But now Orford Lighthouse on the Suffolk coast has finally been shut down, musician Thomas Dolby is hoping his debut musical film will keep its memory alive.

The former Eighties chart-topper is on a tour of some of the UK’s most historic art house cinemas, including Harwich’s Electric Palace, with his Invisible Lighthouse show.

A unique theatrical experience, it’s a multi-media performance, where Thomas accompanies the screening of his film with live narration and a musical soundtrack linking songs from various stages of his career.

Thomas says: “I have grown up with the lighthouse since childhood and so when I discovered it was going to be closed down I was pretty upset about it.

“This was about two years ago and there was some brief controversy about it, but soon people realised it was a bit of a lost cause.

“I knew I was really going to miss it, so I thought about how I could document that.”

Fascinated with the increasingly new technology which was coming in for DIY filmmakers, Thomas set about becoming an independent filmmaker himself.

Incorporating not just what the lighthouse meant to him, but also the myriad of myths and legends that permeate the Suffolk coast, things were going well until Thomas tried to get access to Orfordness, where the lighthouse is located.

“I got nowhere with the National Trust, who own the land,” he adds, “or Trinity House that runs the lighthouse.

“So I took the law into my own hands and did a clandestine filming raid on the ’Ness before they booted me off.”

Like many lighthouses around the world, Orford’s became obsolete as ships began adopting satellite navigation.

With beach erosion threatening its foundations, the iconic building looks set to fall into the North Sea in a matter of years.

Thomas’ film not only captures the magical aura of the building and the area it dominates, but also his relationship to it.

The British synth player had chart success in the Eighties with hits like Windpower, Hyperactive! and She Blinded Me With Science, and as well as new material, they are all included in the piece. He says: “This coast has always been a huge influence in my songwriting and the backdrop for many of my songs.

“My latest album was written and recorded by the Orford coast and in a way this film fills in the visual background of that.

“As well as the songs I’ve composed a new instrumental score and I do the narration as well so it’s been a real adventure in creativity as well as a bit of a labour of love.”

Thomas Dolby: The Invisible Lighthouse Tour
Electric Palace,
King’s Quay Street, Harwich.
September 26. 8pm.
£20. Only available via the website at www.thomasdolby.com/tour