m me LONDON
london international mime festival 8 jan > 2 feb 2020
m me LONDON
WELCOME to the 44th year of London’s international contemporary visual theatre festival. 10 overseas companies join 8 British groups presenting World, UK or London premieres, including LIMF co-commissioned productions from Ockham’s Razor, Thick & Tight, Told by an Idiot and Vamos Theatre. Our workshops for 2020 include an exclusive course taught by faculty members from the École Jacques Lecoq, Paris, and a residential course celebrating 30 years of the David Glass Ensemble – a new partnership with The Point, Eastleigh. Belgium’s Peeping Tom and Kiss & Cry Collective return with new shows, there’s exquisite puppetry from New York, France, and by London’s String Theatre on its unique Puppet Theatre Barge. We have a triple-bill of remarkable silent movie classics with live jazz accompaniment, and a real life Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel mystery at new festival venue, the iconic Wilton’s Music Hall. Ockham’s Razor’s This Time will open LIMF’20 getting the festival off to a great start, the first in a terrific line-up of unusual circus-theatre. Do book early as most shows tend to sell out! Helen Lannaghan & Joseph Seelig Festival Directors
Circus-Theatre Ockham’s Razor Wes Peden Compagnie HMG Galactik Ensemble Joli Vyann Still Hungry Clown/Mask Theatre Trygve Wakenshaw Opposable Thumb Vamos Theatre Told by an Idiot Physical/ Dance Theatre Kiss & Cry Collective Peeping Tom Galactik Ensemble Thick & Tight The PappyShow Joli Vyann Told by an Idiot Vamos Theatre
Workshops Angela de Castro Curious School of Puppetry Brian Duffy David Glass École Jacques Lecoq Ockham’s Razor The PappyShow Nola Rae Theatre Re Thick & Tight Vamos Theatre see pages 41-43
2/3
Plus free after-show discussions for ticket holders For people who are deaf or hearing-impaired Most shows have a strong visual narrative with little or no use of speech. Full details at mimelondon.com/festival
Puppetry/ Object Theatre La Pendue Opposable Thumb Nick Lehane Kiss & Cry Collective String Theatre Fleur Elise Noble Family-Friendly Ockham’s Razor (8+) Wes Peden (7+) Compagnie HMG (7+) Galactik Ensemble (7+) String Theatre (4+) Fleur Elise Noble (7+) Cinema The Slapstick Home
Photo: Galactik Ensemble Cover photo: Compagnie HMG
BARBICAN JACKSONS LANE LILIAN BAYLIS STUDIO SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL SOHO THEATRE SOUTHBANK CENTRE THE PEACOCK PUPPET THEATRE BARGE WILTON’S MUSIC HALL
Ockham’s Razor (UK)
THIS TIME London Premiere
Shoreditch Town Hall Wed 8 > Sun 19 Jan Suspended high above or swinging perilously close to ground, Ockham’s Razor’s superb artists amaze with new takes on trapeze and cradle routines in this highly unusual visual theatre drama. With a cast ranging in age from 13 to 60, This Time is this award-winning circus-theatre company’s thrilling new show. Performed with unique aerial equipment specially created for the piece, This Time explores time and transformation and the ups and downs of family relationships, and shows how we are strong in different ways at different times of life. Ockham Razor’s previous show, Tipping Point (LIMF’17) won the Total Theatre and Jacksons Lane Award for Circus at the Edinburgh Fringe and has subsequently toured the world. Wed 8 - Sun 19 Jan Tue - Fri 8pm, Sat 5pm, Sun 3pm Relaxed performance: Sun 12 Jan 3pm No show Mon 13 Jan Wed 15 Jan performance & after-show discussion are BSL-interpreted by Jeni Draper Runs 70 mins / no interval Age guidance: 8+ (features emotive content) £18/£16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Tel: 020 7739 6176 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented by LIMF in association with Shoreditch Town Hall
Ockham’s Razor Workshop Thu 30 - Fri 31 Jan. See pages 41-43
“THERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT OCKHAM’S RAZOR”
4/5
EVENING STANDARD
“THIS IS A CLASS ACT” THE TIMES
“THERE’S A SENSE OF WONDER IN THE WORK OF OCKHAM’S RAZOR” THE GUARDIAN
Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival, New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth & The Lowry, Salford Directed by Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey - Ockham’s Razor Produced by Alison King - Turtle Key Arts
Devised & Performed by Lee Carter, Alex Harvey, Faith Fahy and Charlotte Mooney Musical Direction, Re-composition, Arrangements, Sound Design and Production: Max Reinhardt Piano Composition and Performance: Chioma Uma Lighting Designer: Phil Supple Costume Designer: Tina Bicat Assistant Costume Designer: Kit Bicat Aerial Consultant: Luke Horley Additional Devising and Body Double for Faith: Emily Nicholl Outside Eye: Bim Mason Equipment Design & Show Concept: Ockham’s Razor
Trygve Wakenshaw (NZ)
ONLY BONES v1.4 World Premiere
Soho Theatre Thu 9 > Sat 25 Jan
Previews Tue 7 & Wed 8 Jan ‘Make a show with No story, No language, No set, No props, and only ONE light’. Rubber-limbed Trygve Wakenshaw takes on the challenge set by fellow New Zealander Thomas Monckton, creator of the original Only Bones (v1.0) described by The Times at LIMF’17 as ‘spare but not slight…painfully hilarious’. Trygve Wakenshaw’s Only Bones v1.4 raises a finger, as well as most other limbs, to the rule books and the people that write them. This is a hilarious new minimalist extravaganza. It skewers the rule makers, the enforcers, the abiders, and screams “wake up sheeple!” as it politely waits for the traffic lights to change. This is micro-physical comedy unlike anything you’ve seen (unless you’ve seen Only Bones v1.0). Oozing with whimsy, dripping with charm, master of the risqué and magnificently mad, Trygve trained at the Gaulier School in Paris. His previous, award-winning solo shows and duo with Barnie Duncan have been popular sell-outs at LIMF and around the world.
Thu 9 - Sat 25 Jan at 7pm Previews Tue 7 & Wed 8 Jan 7pm. Sat mats 4pm. No show 12 or 19 Jan After-show discussion: Sat 18 Jan (after 4pm show) Runs 70 mins / no interval £9 - £18 no booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 12+ Tel: 020 7478 0100 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Soho Theatre
“TRYGVE CONTINUES TO HIT THE PHYSICAL COMEDY JACKPOT” THE LIST (NAUTILUS)
“A CELEBRATION OF RIDICULOUSNESS… A GLORIOUS PIECE OF CLOWNING” THE TIMES (DIFFERENT PARTY)
“BLISSFULLY FUNNY… A JOYOUS EXCUSE TO EMBRACE YOUR CHILDISH SIDE” TIME OUT
Written and performed by Trygve Wakenshaw
6/7
Thick & Tight (UK)
ROMANCING THE APOCALYPSE London Premiere
Lilian Baylis Studio Sadler’s Wells Thu 9 > Sat 11 Jan Following their delirious success at LIMF’19, Thick & Tight’s Daniel Hay-Gordon and Eleanor Perry return with a programme of brand-new works combining dance, mime, queer culture and outsider art. Apparitions of infamous and remarkable characters from contemporary history take shape throughout the evening: Derek Jarman and Marcel Proust, Winston Churchill, Marlene Dietrich, Andy Warhol and a two-headed Barbara Cartland. Thick & Tight strive to unveil these lives and souls in new, explosive and challenging ways; a full and raucous evening of entertainment with an underlying desire to reveal our shared humanity. Thick & Tight are joined by artists from Corali Dance Company (leaders in dance by artists with a learning disability) and three fabulous soloists: Harry Alexander (Michael Clark Company), Vidya Patel (BBC Young Dancer South Asian Finalist 2015) and Edd Arnold (BalletBoyz, Russell Maliphant), with design by Tim Spooner. Thu 9 - Sat 11 Jan at 8pm After-show discussion: Fri 10 Jan Runs 85 mins / plus interval £20/£12 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 12+ (parental guidance) Tel: 020 7863 8000 Thick & Tight Workshop Sun 2 Feb. See pages 41-43 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented by LIMF in partnership with Sadler’s Wells
Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival and Edge Hill University for LEAP 2019 Dance Festival.
“APPALLINGLY ENTERTAINING” THE OBSERVER
“ORIGINAL, INSPIRED AND FANTASTICALLY TALENTED” TOTAL THEATRE
“A SUBVERSIVE DELIGHT… SUPERBLY FUNNY AND SURPRISINGLY POIGNANT” THE STAGE
“WICKEDLY FUNNY” EXEUNT
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“WE LOVED THIS ABSOLUTELY ORIGINAL SHOW” LA PROVENCE
“IN 3 DIMENSIONS AND IN 3 DIRECTIONS, 3D IS IN ITSELF A MINI-STAGE EXPLORING A PLAYFUL RELATIONSHIP TO MATTER, SPACE, SOUND AND EACH OTHER” NAJA21
Compagnie HMG (France)
3D UK Premiere
Jacksons Lane Fri 10 > Sun 12 Jan Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Jacksons Lane This visit to London is supported by Institut français
You’ll be at the heart of the action right from the start in this nail-biting spectacle from acrobat/wire-walker Jonathan Guichard. With a specially created new piece of circus equipment, the 3D, he brings thrills up-close as you have never before experienced. Constructed like a giant archer’s longbow, the curved wooden board and metallic ’string’ rocks, rolls and pivots in three dimensions at the will of its daring rider, producing an ever-changing musical soundscape that creates tension, awe and astonishment. Inspired by innovative compatriots and contemporaries like Aurélien Bory,
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Mathurin Bolze and Yoann Bourgeois, in whose groundbreaking shows he has appeared at the Barbican and Southbank Centre for LIMF, Jonathan Guichard has produced a thrilling piece of visual theatre which plays with space, form, physical virtuosity and sound. For this show, Jonathan has also worked with Etienne Manceau, whose extraordinary Vu was a hit at Shoreditch Town Hall as part of LIMF’18. Original and exhilarating, a treat for all ages.
Fri 10 - Sun 12 Jan Fri - Sat at 7.30pm, Sat at 3pm, Sun at 12 noon After-show discussion: Sat 11 Jan after 3pm show Runs 45 mins / no interval £18/16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 7+ Tel: 020 8341 4421 Conceived, performed and musical composition by Jonathan Guichard Performer/sound design: Mikaël Le Guillou Technical management: Sebastien Dehaye Outside eye: Etienne Manceau
Stage design: Jonathan Guichard, Cyril Malivert, Etienne Manceau Construction: Jonathan Guichard, Cyril Malivert, Etienne Manceau, JeanVictor Bethmont, Franck Breuil
Told by an Idiot (UK)
THE STRANGE TALE OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND STAN LAUREL London Premiere
Wilton’s Music Hall Tue 14 > Sat 18 Jan In 1910 the unknown Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel set sail for New York as part of Fred Karno’s famous music hall troupe. On this journey, Charlie and Stan shared a cabin and then spent two years together touring North America, with Stan as Charlie’s understudy. Stan returned home, later finding success with his soulmate Oliver Hardy. Charlie developed his Little Tramp character and within five years became one of the most famous figures in the world. In Charlie Chaplin’s highly detailed autobiography Stan Laurel is never mentioned. Stan talked about Charlie all his life. Playing fast and loose with the facts, and with an original piano score composed by Mercury Award Nominee Zoe Rahman played live each night, The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel is no nostalgic bio-drama, but a hilarious and deeply moving homage to two men who changed the world of comedy forever. (The events in this play are fictional. This play is certainly not endorsed by the estates of Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, or anyone else for that matter!) Tue 14 - Sat 18 Jan Tue-Sat 7.45pm, Thu & Sat mats 3pm Relaxed performance: Thu 16 Jan 3pm After-show discussion: Fri 17 Jan Runs 80 mins / no interval £18 no booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 14+ Tel: 020 7702 2789 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com
“ANARCHICALLY INCLUSIVE JOY… I NOW BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THEATRE” THE SUNDAY TIMES (GET HAPPY)
“THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT… WILD AND FUNNY WITH A SERIOUS CORE” THE TIMES (MY PERFECT MIND)
“THEATRE ABOUT AS INVENTIVE, IMAGINATIVE AND FANTASTICAL AS IT GETS” TIME OUT
A Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Plymouth production with Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Unity Theatre, Liverpool Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival Writer and Director: Paul Hunter Designer: Ioana Curelea Lighting Designer: Aideen Malone Composer: Zoe Rahman Physical Comedy Consultant: Jos Houben Song Arrangement: Sophie Cotton Dance Choreography: Nuna Sandy for ZooNation The Kate Prince Company Assistant Director: Andrea Cabrera Luna From an idea by Irene Cotton With additional material from the company Cast: Sara Alexander, Nick Haverson, Jerone Marsh-Reid, Amalia Vitale
12/13
“GETS INSIDE YOUR MIND AND SITS WITH YOU LONG AFTER YOU HAVE LEFT THE THEATRE” THE PLUS ONES MELBOURNE
“A DARK, WHIMSICAL STYLE OF VISUAL THEATRE … WILL FIRE THE IMAGINATION OF OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE” SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Fleur Elise Noble (Australia)
ROOMAN UK Premiere
Barbican, The Pit Tue 14 > Sat 18 Jan
Presented by LIMF in association with the Barbican
Like an immersive pop-up book or graphic novel coming to life, ROOMAN is a rich tapestry of puppetry, projection, animation, dance, music and sound. A young woman only finds relief from the surroundings of her monotonous, monochrome existence when she meets a kangaroo man in her dreams. Obsessed by his colourful, wondrous and limitless universe, she pursues a dangerous path to spend more time with him. Soon she must make a choice: to give up or to wake up. With the atmosphere of fantastical film noir, this innovative show matches wordless performance with a
14/15
multidimensional paper set, to tell a heart-warming story about falling in love with a fantasy.
Tue 14 - Sat 18 Jan Tue - Sat at 7.45pm Sat at 2.30pm
From Australia, artist Fleur Elise Noble is the maker of all things visual and has spent seven years creating the universe of Rooman, who she originally encountered in her own dreams.
After-show discussion: Thu 16 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval £18 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 7+ Tel: 020 7638 8891
Creator, Director, Designer and Performer: Fleur Elise Noble Sound Design: Missi Mel Pesa (AKA Melbient) Composers and Musicians: Zaachariaha Fielding, Sarah Reid, Tim Bennett, Peter Knight, Mal Webb, Missi Mel Pesa, Opiuo Animation: Fleur Elise Noble, Isobel Knowels, Tim Bennett Set Mechanics/Puppeteer: Tony Martin Production & Technical Manager: Niccolo Gallio Stage Manager/Puppeteer: Anna Kastrissios
watch the video and book through mimelondon.com
String Theatre (UK)
THE WATER BABIES The Puppet Theatre Barge Wed 15 Jan > Sun 2 Feb A special treat for the whole family. Enter a different world. After a harsh beginning of child labour in an unforgiving adult world, a little chimney sweep’s suffering ends when he is transformed into a water baby. As he plunges into an underwater realm of fish, caterpillars and caddisflies we are drawn into his adventures in the colourful depths, swept along with his dreams and new freedom. With specially-commissioned music, beautiful, long-string marionettes and ghostly shadows, this gorgeous new production inspired by Charles Kingsley’s famous novel explores themes of loss, friendship and transformation. From its unique home on a converted Thames lighter, String Theatre has toured its shows to Asia, South America, North Africa and throughout Europe. Step on to the gangplank, climb aboard and leave the real world behind. As the ship’s bell rings, the magic starts.
Wed 15 Jan - Sun 2 Feb Wed-Fri 7.30pm Sat & Sun 11am & 3pm No performances on Mondays or Tuesdays After-show discussion: Sun 19 Jan after 3pm show Runs 60 mins / including short interval £13 adults / £9 children / £10 concessions No booking fees Age guidance: 4+ Tel: 020 7249 6876 Watch the video and book through www.mimelondon.com
“THE BEAUTY AND MOVEMENT OF THE PUPPETS TRANSFIXES THE AUDIENCE” ANIMATIONS ONLINE
“USING FORCED PERSPECTIVE, MULTI-SIZED PUPPETS, ELABORATE STAGING (AND A REALLY SWEET DOG), STRING THEATRE BROUGHT A CINEMATIC QUALITY TO THEIR LETTERBOX SIZED STAGE THAT HAD THE ADULTS IN THE AUDIENCE ENTRANCED” THE CORNHALL.CO.UK
Performers: Elizabeth Barron, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Stan Middleton/ Soledad Zarate
16/17
La Pendue (France)
TRIA FATA UK Premiere
Jacksons Lane Fri 17 > Sun 19 Jan She’s a puppeteer, he’s an astonishing one-man band. Life and death play out in their cabaret as an old woman faces the end of her life. Her time has come: the moment to be decided by the Tria Fata, the Three Fates who spin the thread of life, who measure it out and who decide when it will be cut. But the old woman can postpone the inevitable by offering the Fates an account of her life. The snapshot she presents, a swirling kaleidoscope of imagery, illusions and fire proves almost hallucinatory. Tria Fata shows the intriguing relationship a puppet can develop with its creator/manipulator, and its surprising liberty and independence. Martin Kaspar Lauchli’s soundscape of clarinet, accordion, drums and voice orchestrates the delicious mystery. Formed in 2003 by Estelle Charlier and Romuald Collinet, graduates of France’s famous national puppetry school at Charleville Mezieres, La Pendue has toured to more than thirty countries, bringing a sometimes unsettling, contemporary edge to a popular entertainment form. Performed in French, with English sur-titles Fri 17 - Sun 19 Jan Fri & Sat 7.30pm, Sat 3pm, Sun 5pm After-show discussion: Sat 18 Jan after 7.30pm show Runs 55 mins / no interval £18/16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 10+ Tel: 020 8341 4421 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Jacksons Lane This visit to London is supported by Institut français
“FUNNY, POIGNANT, ETHEREAL AND SATISFYING. JOY IN LIFE AND DEATH” CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET FESTIVAL
18/19
“DISARMINGLY CHARMING” LYN GARDNER STAGEDOOR
“ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR EVERY BOY” THEATRE WEEKLY
“TENDER, STRONG, FUNNY, VULNERABLE, CHARMING AND SO MUCH MORE” BROADWAY WORLD
The PappyShow (UK)
BOYS Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Mon 20 > Tue 21 Jan
Presented in association with Southbank Centre
‘What makes up a man, his heritage, his parents, his relationships, his strength, his heart, his abs, his endurance, his mind? BOYS is a fun, cheeky, timely, physical, theatrical exploration of manhood performed by a talented cast of young men of colour.’ Reviews Hub Celebrating male tenderness, silliness, vulnerability and community with a cast of young men, BOYS gives us a window to share their experiences, their hopes, families and globe-spanning heritage. In their stories, brought alive by impressive physical performance, you will see reflections of your brothers, friends, parents and lovers. Unscripted, and each story uniquely
20/21
told in every performance, BOYS is a joyful, electric, occasionally raw but always tender dance that hopes to unravel preconceptions and uncover the endless possibilities that can make up a man. Formed in 2013 by director Kane Husbands, The PappyShow is a playful, visual and physical theatre ensemble producing some of the most exciting new work in London. Its current touring repertoire features three dynamic pieces, BOYS, GIRLS and CARE. BOYS was the winner of Show of the Week and Origins Outstanding Work Award at London’s VAULT Festival.
Mon 20 - Tue 21 Jan at 7.45pm After-show discussion: Mon 20 Jan BSL interpreted performance: Tue 21 Jan, with Kam Deo Runs 65 mins / no interval ÂŁ18. Concessions 25% off (limited availability). Transaction fees apply: See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 10+ Tel: 020 3879 9555 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com The PappyShow Workshop with Kane Husbands Jacksons Lane Sat 18 - Sun 19 Jan See pages 41-43
Still Hungry (Germany)
RAVEN London Premiere
Jacksons Lane Tue 21 > Thu 23 Jan Because their chicks leave the nest even before they can fly, the expression ‘raven mother’ has for centuries been synonymous with uncaring or bad motherhood. In this 2019 Edinburgh ‘Fringe First’ winner from Germany, three superb female circus artist/mothers emerge from their own nests, to reveal some uncomfortable thoughts about child-rearing. They ask ‘is there a raven inside of me?’ Fresh, truthful, poignant, laced with humorous insight and told through personal experience and world class aerial and acrobatic skills, Raven shines a spotlight on dilemmas faced by every working mother. Pitch perfect in combining language and movement, the result is both thoughtful and thrilling circus-theatre.
Tue 21 - Thu 23 Jan at 7.30pm After-show discussion: Tue 21 Jan BSL-interpreted performance: Wed 22 Jan, with Jeni Draper Runs 55 mins / no interval £18/16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 8+ Tel: 020 8341 4421 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Jacksons Lane
“BEAUTIFUL AND SPECTACULAR VISUAL THEATRE” THE SCOTSMAN
“IT’S INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, AND I WAS WHOLLY UNPREPARED FOR THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON ME” THREE WEEKS, EDINBURGH
Devised and performed by: Lena Ries, Romy Seibt, Anke van Engelshoven Co-Direction: Rachel Hameleers Creative support by Bryony Kimmings Producer: Anke Politz
22/23
Nick Lehane (USA)
CHIMPANZEE UK Premiere
Barbican, The Pit Tue 21 > Sat 25 Jan
Presented by LIMF in association with the Barbican
In this extraordinary and heartbreaking puppet play, a life-sized chimpanzee escapes the despair of her captive existence by piecing together memories of her childhood in a human home. Now from her solitary cage in a biomedical facility, she reminisces about the comfort, curiosity and freedom she had growing up in a human family. Our chimp’s bleak present-day reality switches into vivid recollections of discovery and delight: scarves float into the air from a storage box, a teacup fascinates, opera music plays, a tiny toy baby is carefully cradled to her chest.
24/25 “GORGEOUS … A METICULOUS, DEEPLY FELT MEMORY PLAY” NEW YORK MAGAZINE
“A DELIGHTFUL AND SUPERLATIVELY MOVING ACCOUNT OF MEMORIES AND DREAMS” BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS USA
Creative team: Creator, Director and Designer: Nick Lehane Lighting and Associate Set Design: Marika Kent Sound: Kate Marvin Associate Lighting: Ayumu ‘Poe’ Saegusa Associate Sound: Avery Orvis Puppeteers: Rowan Magee, Andy Manjuck, Emma Wiseman
Three highly skilled puppeteers invest feeling, expression and delicately nuanced movement to the beautifully crafted creature of this poignant nonverbal production, which conveys shifts in time and place through haunting sound and lighting. Written and created by Brooklyn-based Nick Lehane, it is distilled from the real stories of apes once fostered into American families only to be abandoned to science as they reach maturity.
Tue 21 - Sat 25 Jan Tue - Sat at 7.45pm Sat at 2.30pm After-show discussion: Thu 23 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval £18 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 12+ (contains scenes that some people may find upsetting) Tel: 020 7638 8891 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com
Joli Vyann (UK)
ANIMA London Premiere
Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Wed 22 > Thu 23 Jan
Presented in association with Southbank Centre
We all breathe from the moment we are born to the moment we die, it’s a universal shared experience. Joli Vyann’s new show Anima portrays the delicate connection between two people and takes us on a journey, from the cradle to the grave, through an intimate look at the simple, yet constant, act of breathing. How does breath affect our emotions? Our physicality? Our very being? The two performers and a live Taiko drummer push themselves to the limits of their physicality in a unique blend of dance and acrobatics. Using dance, circus, voice and wind instruments, their breath literally becomes the soundscape for the performance.
26/27
“THEIR MIX OF DANCE, ACROBATICS AND THEATRE IS BREATHTAKING. THE RISK FACTOR IS HIGH AND THE STORY TOLD TO EMOTIONALLY CHARGED EFFECT” EXEUNT
“PUSHES ASIDE THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ACROBATICS AND DANCE WITH INTELLIGENCE AND IMPRESSIVE SKILL” THE GUARDIAN
Founded in 2012, Joli Vyann is a South West England dance-circus company directed by Olivia Quayle and Jan Patzke. Anima will be its third production to feature at LIMF.
Choreographed & directed by Joli Vyann (Jan Patzke & Olivia Quayle) Performers: Jan Patzke, Olivia Quayle & Nao Masuda Produced by Holly Cameron-Jennings for Turtle Key Arts Live Music and Original Composition: Nao Masuda, featuring didgeridoo tracks by Laurent Suara Lighting Design: Tim Slater (The Point)
Wed 22 - Thu 23 Jan at 7.45pm After-show discussion: Wed 22 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval £18. Concessions 25% off (limited availability). Transaction fees apply: See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 7+ Tel: 020 3879 9555 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com
Peeping Tom (Belgium)
CHILD (KIND) UK Premiere
Barbican Theatre Wed 22 > Sat 25 Jan Between dance and physical theatre, Peeping Tom’s shows astonish audiences with surreal, unsettling imagery and phenomenal choreography that defies logic. Child (Kind) explores perceptions of childhood. An eerie forest of towering trees and menacing cliffs reveals grotesque, curious and disturbing scenes that hold within them the fears, doubts and dreams of a girl caught up in toxic and traumatic situations. Uncannily conveying the body language of the young while swirling around the borders of reality, Child (Kind) features a mezzo-soprano as a child and seemingly elastic dancers who emerge imaginatively from the scenery. The Olivier Award-winning Belgian group follows productions of Mother and Father with the final part of its family-themed trilogy. Developed from impressions of childhood shared by the whole company including co-directors Gabriela Carrizo and Franck Chartier, the last instalment comes out of their fascination with the human psyche and the construction of identity. Wed 22 - Sat 25 Jan at 7.45pm Fri 24 Jan performance & After-show discussion are BSL-interpreted by Martin Fox-Roberts Runs 85 mins / no interval £16 - £28 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 15+ (contains violence and adult themes) Tel: 020 7638 8891
Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented by LIMF in association with the Barbican
28/29 “GROUNDBREAKING AESTHETIC AND DANCE QUALITY THAT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY” VOLKSFREUND (CHILD)
“ABSURD, ASTONISHING AND DEEPLY MOVING DANCE-THEATRE” THE STAGE (FATHER)
“A BRILLIANT MIX OF NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION AND WEIRDNESS” THE INDEPENDENT (MOTHER)
Creative team: Creators and Directors : Gabriela Carrizo, Franck Chartier Sound: Raphaëlle Latini, Hjorvar Rognvaldsson, Renaud Crols, Annalena Fröhlich, Fhun Gao, Yannick Willockx Lighting: Amber Vandenhoeck Artistic Assistant: Lulu Tikovsky Set Design: Justine Bougerol Co-creators and performers: Eurudike De Beul Maria Carolina Vieira Marie Gyselbrecht Brandon Lagaert Hun-Mok Jung Yi-Chun Liu
Opposable Thumb (UK)
COULROPHOBIA London Premiere
Jacksons Lane Fri 24 > Sun 26 Jan Take your seat, relax, but don’t get too comfortable. Coulrophobia (fear of clowns) is 80 minutes of brilliant slapstick, mime, puppetry, existential angst and big shoes. Our heroes are Dik & Adam, two clowns in search of freedom from a bewildering cardboard world. Join them in their desperate quest for a more meaningful existence. With enough subversive humour to please the most hardened cynic, Coulrophobia glides seamlessly from sinister to touching, from ridiculous to outright hilarious. Coulrophobia was made in 2014 at Nordland Visual Theatre, Norway, and has featured at many of Europe’s leading clown and puppetry festivals. Director John Nicholson co-founded Peepolykus and has written and adapted many stage comedy hits including The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary. Opposable Thumb is Dik Downey’s new company after 20 years as co-director of Pickled Image. Warning: Coulrophobia contains disappointing nudity and some words more appropriate for those aged 14+
Fri 24 - Sun 26 Jan at 7.30pm Fri 7.30pm, Sat 3pm & 7.30pm, Sun 5pm Sat 25 Jan 7.30pm performance & after-show discussion are BSL-interpreted by Jeni Draper Runs 80 mins / no interval £18/16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 14+ Tel: 020 8341 4421 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Jacksons Lane
“IN COULROPHOBIA IT’S CLEAR THAT CLOWNING CAN BE CHILDISH AND INTELLIGENT, FRIGHTENING AND FUNNY, SAVAGE AND EMPATHETIC, WITHOUT LOSING EITHER A SENSE OF MISCHIEF OR SHOWCASING REMARKABLE SKILLS” THE LIST
“AT THE HEART OF THE SHOW ARE TWO HUGELY GENEROUS AND SKILLED PERFORMERS, FULL OF WIT AND VULNERABILITY. THEY’RE AN ENDLESSLY WATCHABLE DOUBLE ACT” TOTAL THEATRE
Director: John Nicholson Performers: Dik Downey and Adam Blake Concept and script: Dik Downey, Adam Blake and John Nicholson Composer and sound designer: Simon Preston Set design: Dik Downey and Emma Powell Props and objects: Emma Powell Costume: Linda Anneveld Light design and technical solutions: Jan Erik Skarby, Marianne Thallaug Wedset and Onela Keal Technician: Chris Collier PR design: Onela Keal Film maker and photographer: Adam Laity
30/31
Wes Peden (USA)
ZEBRA London Premiere
Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Fri 24 > Sun 26 Jan Master of technical innovation and manipulation Wes Peden was last seen in London as guest star in Gandini Juggling’s Spring at Sadler’s Wells for LIMF 2019. He returns with his new solo show, Zebra, whose aesthetic has been described as that of a futuristic chandelier with a sense of humour. Creating never-before-seen sequences of evolving shapes and constellations with incredible new throws and catches, he transforms his props into mesmerising waves of movement and gives astonishing new life to vinyl records. Wes has performed around the world from Olympic stadiums in Tokyo to Broadway theatres in NYC and Glacier Museums in Iceland - he was also a part of Water on Mars, a sell-out sensation at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. His energetic, playful and complex style has won awards from the International Juggling Association and Cirque de Demain. Wes promises to use the skills he has honed from the age of 5 to twist gravity into the most beautiful knots physics will allow. A force of nature – you’ve seen nothing like him! Fri 24 - Sun 26 Jan Fri & Sat 7.45pm, Sat & Sun 3pm After-show discussion: Sat 25 Jan (after 3pm show)
“ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE JUGGLERS WORLDWIDE” VOORUIT, NETHERLANDS
Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com
“IN CIRCUSTHEATRE WE USUALLY LOOK AT THE PERFORMERS. PEDEN IS ONE STEP FURTHER AND DARES TO DISAPPEAR IN HIS OWN PERFORMANCE”
Presented in association with Southbank Centre
THEATRKRANT, NETHERLANDS
Runs 50 mins / no interval £18. Concessions 25% off (limited availability). Transaction fees apply: See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 7+ Tel: 020 3879 9555
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Galactik Ensemble (France)
OPTRAKEN UK Premiere
The Peacock Wed 29 Jan > Sat 1 Feb In Optraken five fantastic acrobats pit themselves against a hostile environment. Unstable ground disappears underfoot, walls wobble, ceilings collapse, dangers come from every side. Forget elegant tumbling and spangly tights – this wonderfully inventive and original piece of acrobatic theatre is a battle in which every movement matters for survival. It’s spectacular, impressive, unpredictable and enormous fun. All graduates of France’s famous national circus school at Rosny sous Bois, Galactik Ensemble’s members have also worked with star contemporary circus creators Aurélien Bory, Mathurin Bolze and Yoann Bourgeois. Following extensive touring in Europe and two sold-out seasons in Paris, Optraken makes its UK debut. Thrills and spills guaranteed. Book early! Wed 29 Jan - Sat 1 Feb Wed - Fri 7.30pm, Sat 5pm After-show discussion: Fri 31 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval £15 - £45 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 7+ Tel: 020 7863 8222 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in partnership with Sadler’s Wells This visit to London is supported by Institut français
34/35 “A TREASURE HOUSE OF INVENTIVENESS AND SUPERBLY MANAGED SURPRISES” SCENEWEB
“PRECARIOUS AND HILARIOUS” LIBERATION (PARIS)
By & with Mathieu Bleton, Mosi Espinoza, Jonas Julliand, Karim Messaoudi, Cyril Pernot Technical director: Victor Fernandes Technical creation & machinery: Franck Breuil Stage manager: Charles Rousseau Lighting director: Adèle Grépinet Sound director: Denis Mariotte Master electrician: Romain Caramalli Sound master: Eric Sterenfeld Artistic collaboration: Matthieu Gary, Marie Fonte
Kiss & Cry Collective (Belgium)
COLD BLOOD London Premiere
Barbican Theatre Wed 29 Jan > Sat 1 Feb In this wonderfully whimsical production, the story of seven surprising deaths takes audiences into an array of scenarios that touch on the fleeting fragility of life. Watch as performers and crew conjure visuals onstage or simply succumb to the beautifully detailed kaleidoscopic vistas appearing on film. From the razzmatazz of a Fred and Ginger-style dance number to a floating figure in outer space, from a ravaged war-torn cityscape to the recreation of an iconic Boléro ballet. Set to classic and contemporary music including Ravel, David Bowie and Janis Joplin, Cold Blood brings together intricate hand choreography, tiny props, live cinema and a witty script. Drawn from the film and dance backgrounds of husband-andwife creative team Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Anne De Mey – whose previous show, Kiss & Cry, thrilled audiences at LIMF in 2014 and again in 2017.
Wed 29 Jan - Sat 1 Feb at 7.45pm Thu 30 Jan performance & After-show discussion are BSL-interpreted by Martin Fox-Roberts Runs 80 mins / no interval £16 - £28 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 14+ (contains depictions of death) Tel: 020 7638 8891 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented by LIMF in association with the Barbican
“IT IS ENTIRELY ORIGINAL AND TOTALLY ENTRANCING”
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WHATSONSTAGE
“INGENIOUS... A TOTAL THEATRICAL TREAT” THE TIMES
“NOTHING SHORT OF EXQUISITE” ARTSDESK
Creative team Creators and Directors: Jaco Van Dormael, Michèle Anne De Mey Text: Thomas Gunzig Cinematographers: Jaco Van Dormael, Julien Lambert Choreographers: Michèle Anne De Mey, Grégory Grosjean Cameras: Julien Lambert, Aurélie Leporcq
Set Design: Sylvie Olivé, François Roux, Juliette Fassin, Théodore Brisset, Brigitte Baudet, Daniella Zorrozua Costumes: Béa Pendesini, Sarah Duvert Lighting: Nicolas Olivier, Bruno Olivier Sound: Boris Cekevda
Performers Michèle Anne De Mey Grégory Grosjean Gabriella Iacono Ivan Fox Bruno Olivier Stefano Serra Jaco Van Dormael Julien Lambert Aurélie Leporcq
Vamos Theatre (UK)
DEAD GOOD World Premiere
Jacksons Lane Thu 30 Jan > Sun 2 Feb Let’s start... at the end. Bob and Bernard have only two things in common: they’re both dying… and they’re not going down without a fight. So, with a bottle of Bollinger and the keys to Bernard’s Bentley in hand, they decide to hit the road, and take on one final, death-defying adventure. But when time starts to run out, can Bob and Bernard accept the inevitable? Can their growing friendship make the difference? And by seeing the end in sight, can they truly value living? Funny and poignant, Dead Good is the new production from full-mask maestros, Vamos Theatre. Created in collaboration with palliative care patients and specialists, it’s a witty, wordless theatre show about the ultimate shared experience. Accessible to deaf audiences without a signer.
Thu 30 Jan - Sun 2 Feb Thu-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 3pm After-show discussion: Sat 1 Feb Runs 70 mins / no interval £18/16 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: 12+ Tel: 020 8341 4421 Vamos Theatre Workshop with Rachael Savage Sat 1 Feb See pages 41-43 Watch the video and book through mimelondon.com Presented in association with Jacksons Lane
Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival
38/39 “VAMOS PROVES YOU DON’T NEED WORDS TO CREATE AN INVENTIVE AND SPELLBINDING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE” LIVERPOOL ECHO
“IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN FULL-MASK THEATRE, THERE COULD BE NO BETTER INTRODUCTION THAN VAMOS – THEIR ABILITY TO EXPLORE PROFOUND THEMES WITH THE LIGHTEST OF TOUCHES IS MAGICAL… THE IRRESISTIBLE MIX OF HUMOUR AND HEARTBREAK MAKES THEM A MUST-SEE” HEREFORD TIMES
FILM SCREENING Cinema 1 Barbican Sun 19 Jan
THE SLAPSTICK HOME Presented in partnership with the Barbican this programme brings together three superlative early 20th century American slapstick comedies focusing on the home. In One AM (1916) Charlie Chaplin returns from a night out a little the worse for wear and finds his home transformed into an obstacle course, with a foldaway bed providing the biggest challenge. One Week (1921) sees Buster Keaton and his new bride presented with their new home in flat-pack form; putting it together produces predictably hilarious results. The home as a site of destruction reaches its apogee in Big Business (1929) when Laurel and Hardy start a row with a suburban homeowner, leading to gleeful trashing of valuable furniture, priceless objects, even the fabric of the house itself. These are rarely seen silent classics that have stood the test time. This screening features live music accompaniment by jazz students from Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Sun 19 Jan at 3pm Runs 64 mins / no interval ÂŁ5 - ÂŁ12.50 plus booking fees. Discounts apply. See pages 45-47 Age guidance: Certificate PG Tel: 020 7638 8891 book through mimelondon.com Curated by the Barbican. Presented by LIMF in association with the BarbicanEW YORK TIMES
WORKSHOPS
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Our workshops are always in high demand. LIMF’20 brings the chance to study different physical and visual theatre skills with leading practitioners, including various forms of puppetry, clown, mime and devised theatre. Places are limited, early booking recommended. book workshops via mimelondon.com
ÉCOLE JACQUES LECOQ / PARIS A Fundamental Journey Led by Pascale Lecoq, Jos Houben & Jason Turner WHEN: Mon 6 - Thu 9 Jan 10am - 5pm WHERE: Institut français COST: £325 (£295 concs) The famous Jacques Lecoq School brings three of its most distinguished teachers to London. Their workshop provides an introduction to the Lecoq pedagogy, examining the relationship between the performer, the body and space. It begins with the neutral mask and the discovery of the performance space revealed and required and shows how this can be used to amplify the performer’s physical presence. It explores their unique physical and spatial relationships: the passionate diagonal spaces of drama, the stark verticals in tragedy,
École Jacques Lecoq. © Jérémie Croidieu
and the direct horizontal rapport of comedy. For theatre graduates and professional performers. To apply: email workshops@ mimelondon.com with a brief outline of your previous theatre experience. In no more than 150 words tell us why you want to do the course and why you think it would benefit your professional development. Supported by Institut français Deadline for applications is 5pm on Mon 25 Nov. Successful applicants (selected by the Lecoq School) will be informed by Mon 2 Dec.
ANGELA DE CASTRO
How To Be A Stupid 10 day clowning workshop Led by Angela de Castro WHEN: Mon 6 - Fri 17 Jan (not 11/12 Jan) 9am - 6pm
WHERE: South London COST: £850 BOOKING: Application form at thewhynotinstitute.com/ when-are-the-courses Clowns speak the truth – and they are funny. To connect with an audience as a clown is about learning that clowning is a state, not a technique. Clown training is not purely for people who wish to be clowns or go into comedy, It’s a practise that can benefit any creative person - artist, actor, director, writer - enabling them to create work unique to themselves. De Castro’s course offers serious and enjoyable research into the Clown’s Intelligence and gives participants the confidence to apply the unlimited power of imagination in any creative or performance context. For clowns (beginners and experienced) creators and performance artists
WORKSHOPS in any field – as well as all those interested in the development of creative intelligence.
CURIOUS SCHOOL OF PUPPETRY
Signs of Life Led by Rene Baker WHEN: Sat 11 - Sun 12 Jan 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £125 (£110 concs) This practical two-day course explores the concept of puppet as ‘alive’ and shows how any object, figure or material that moves in such a way that we perceive it to have thoughts, feelings and objectives will appear to have a life of its own. Participants will explore more complex emotions than we normally expect from puppets, expand their emotional vocabulary by interpreting abstract movement and will learn to use rhythm, gesture, breath, spatial relationship, looks and reactions to articulate the object’s thoughts and feelings. For theatre-makers, performers and puppeteers with some previous performance experience.
THEATRE RE
The Language of the Actor Led by Guillaume Pigé WHEN: Mon 13 - Fri 17 Jan 10am - 5pm WHERE: Shoreditch Town Hall COST: £255 (£230 concs) Through this five-day workshop participants will
book workshops via mimelondon.com be immersed in Theatre Re’s vital approach to Étienne Decroux’s Corporeal Mime. From body articulation to counterweights, from dynamo rhythm to mobile statuary, participants will discover how to play their body like a violin, how to create movement in stillness and how to allow inner impulses flow into expression. For professional and semiprofessional performers.
THE PAPPYSHOW An Introduction to Play Led by Kane Husbands
WHEN: Sat 18 - Sun 19 Jan 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £125 (£110 concs) The PappyShow uses shared stories and experiences to create truthful work when making theatre. You’ll be exploring storytelling, using the lived experience of those in the room, and learn how to take what we find from playing to generate content through movement. For anyone over the age of 16 who is up for doing some moving and shaking! We will be working quite physically, so be prepared to sweat, push yourself and have lots of fun. No previous experience necessary.
ANGELA DE CASTRO
How To Be Even More Of A Stupid - 5 day clowning workshop Led by Angela de Castro WHEN: Mon 20 - Fri 24 Jan (not 11/12 Jan) 9am - 6pm
WHERE: South London COST: £450 BOOKING: Application form at thewhynotinstitute.com/ when-are-the-courses The state of clown is like a muscle that needs to be exercised; the more practice and training a performer has, the stronger the results. Through the advanced exercises at this course, experienced clowns and actors who use clowning in their work, can stretch themselves to improve their ‘clown-fitness’ and make them better prepared to deal with even more challenging clown scenarios. In this advanced course De Castro focuses specifically on areas that are most challenging for the professional performer.
NOLA RAE
Broaden Your Mime Led by Nola Rae WHEN: Sat 25 - Sun 26 Jan 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £125 (£110 concs) The mime is a cartoonist of theatre. Getting to the point is fundamental and leaving out the extraneous, a top principle. Participants will explore the art of doing one thing at a time and the quality of movement and articulation necessary to make a performer’s intentions clear. Choreography of comedy with and without music and rhythm exercises, so important to comedy, will also be part of this class. For enthusiastic professionals or amateurs, who want to know more
42/43 about what makes visual theatre tick and who are not afraid to move. Wear practice clothes and bring one juggling ball.
DAVID GLASS ENSEMBLE LEARNING Devised Theatre Creative Retreat Led by David Glass
WHEN: Mon 27 - Fri 31 Jan Mon 12 - 6pm Tue - Fri 10am - 5pm WHERE: The Point, Eastleigh COST: £130 - £185 (£110 - £150 concs) Devised physical theatre now sits at the heart of modern theatre practice. Central to this week-long workshop will be the performer as a holistic and collaborative maker. Participants will explore the tools of eliciting, image making, emergence, story structure and theme, to develop skills in the creation of original and authentic theatre making. David will introduce his five-stage Creative Practice used by many theatre companies worldwide including Gecko Theatre (UK) and Theatre Ash (Hong Kong). It sets out a clear framework for allowing self-led companies to develop vivid and robust work. For people with some previous performance experience, either as theatre students or as professionals.
OCKHAM’S RAZOR
Drawing Metaphor and Meaning in Circus
Led by Alex Harvey & Charlotte Mooney WHEN: Thu 30 - Fri 31 Jan 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £125 (£110 concs) A 2-day workshop looking at techniques used by the company to draw meaning and metaphor from circus. It will be a playful and supportive exploration, focusing on creation techniques, performance and deepening your practice. You will be working within your chosen discipline. Please note, this workshop is not applicable for aerialists due to lack of rigging. For professionals, recent graduates and performers in all ground-based circus disciplines - jugglers, manipulators, acrobats and partner acrobats etc - who are comfortable to generate material and experiment.
VAMOS THEATRE Full Mask Masterclass Led by Rachael Savage
WHEN: Sat 1 Feb 2 - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £40 (£35 concs) Join Vamos Theatre’s Artistic Director, Rachael Savage, in a half-day exploration of fullmask theatre performance. Participants will use aspects and characters from Vamos Theatre’s new show Dead Good to learn techniques of full-mask and physical theatre, using focus, characterisation and improvisation with masks. You will have the opportunity to explore the company’s approach to devising and performance.
BRIAN DUFFY
Understanding Visual Vernacular Led by Brain Duffy WHEN: Sun 2 Feb 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £70 (£60 concs) Combining physical theatre, mime, facial expressions and elements of sign language, Visual Vernacular is a storytelling style performed mostly by Deaf artists. In this one-day workshop, actor/filmmaker Duffy will demonstrate how to construct a story for Visual Vernacular and how to improve your own material. For those with an interest in physical theatre, and/or able to use a sign language.
A DAY WITH THICK & TIGHT
Led by Daniel Hay-Gordon and Eleanor Perry WHEN: Sun 2 Feb 10.30am - 6pm WHERE: Jacksons Lane COST: £70 (£60 concs) Daniel and Eleanor lead a workshop revealing the working methods behind their latest show Thick & Tight: Romancing the Apocalypse. Famous faces are brought back to life on the dance floor, exploring the eccentricities of human nature - with dance, mime, acting, drag, lip-syncing and precise musicality. Expect to meet Barbara Cartland, Andy Warhol and Derek Jarman, playing with ideas of humour, gender, characterisation, history, sexuality, surrealism and satire.
COMPANY PRODUCTION CREDITS Ockham’s Razor Funded by Arts Council England. Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival, New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth & The Lowry, Salford. Supported by Dance City & artsdepot. Photos: Nik Mackey, Mark Robson Trygve Wakenshaw Photos: Myriam Frenette Thick & Tight Supported by Arts Council England, Sadler’s Wells, The Place and Laban. Photos: Darren Evans, Tim Spooner, Jon Archdeacon Compagnie HMG Executive production: CIRCa, Pôle National Cirque, Auch Gers Occitanie. Co-producers with residency: Bleu Pluriel, centre culturel de Trégueux; CIRCa, Pôle National Cirque, Auch Gers Occitanie; Pôle Regional des Arts du Cirque des Pays de la Loire (Cité du Cirque Marcel Manceau et festival Le Mans fait son Cirque); Le carré magique, pôle national cirque en Bretagne; Théâtre de l’Agora, Scène nationale d’Evra et de l’Essone. Photos: Mathieu Bleton, João Paulo Santos, David Konecny-Festival-Cirkopolis Told by an Idiot Photos: Hugo Glendinning Fleur Elise Noble Produced by Insite Arts Supported by Australia Council for the Arts, Arts SA, Arts Queensland and Windmill Theatre. Photos: Bryony Jackson String Theatre Photos: Jasmine Doyle, Sian Kidd La Pendue Photos: Estelle Charlier, Virginie Meigné, Tomas Vimmr The PappyShow Photos: Mark Cocksedge Still Hungry Produced by Chamäleon Productions. Supported and previewed at Jacksons Lane in 2018 Photos: Daniel Porsdorf Nick Lehane Supported by The Jim Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson Photos: Richard Termine Joli Vyann Co-commissioned by The Point, Eastleigh and supported by DEDA, Circomedia, Seachange Arts, New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth & Lighthouse Poole. Joli Vyann are supported by Arts Council England. Photos: RedManhatten
Peeping Tom Produced by Peeping Tom. Co-produced by KVS (Brussels), Teatre Nacional de Catalunya/Festival Grec de Barcelona and Theater im Pfalzbau (Ludwigshafen). Co-produced by Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, deSingel (Antwerp), Maison de la Culture de Bourges, Festival Aperto/ Fondazione I Teatri (Reggio Emilia), La Rose des Vents (Villeneuve d’Ascq), Théâtre de Caen, Théâtre de la Ville Paris/Maison des arts de Créteil, Gessnerallee Zurich, Julidans Amsterdam, La Bâtie–Festival de Genève and Le Manège (Maubeuge). Kind was created with the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government. Photos: Oleg Degtiarov, Olympe Tits Opposable Thumb Production: Opposable Thumb and Nordland Visual Theatre Creative producer: Pickled Image/Vicky Andrews Photos: Adam Laity Wes Peden Photos: Florence Huet, Avi PryntzNadworny, Brend Van Kerchhove Galactik Ensemble Production: Léa Couqueberg, Emilie Leloup Photos: N. Martinez Kiss & Cry Collective Executive production by Astragales. Association production by Mars, Mons Arts de la Scène – Belgium and Théâtre de Namur – Belgium Co-produced by Charleroi Danse – Belgium, La Fondation Mons 2015, KVS – Belgium, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Le Printemps des Comédiens – France, Torino Danza – Italy, Canadian Stage, Théâtre de Carouge-Atelier de Genève and Théâtre des Célestins – France. With the support of Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles – Service de Danse Photos: Julien Lambert Vamos Theatre Co-production: Vamos Theatre and Corn Exchange, Newbury. Co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival. Vamos Theatre is a National Portfolio Organisation, supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Photos: Graeme Braidwood
Somerset House, South Wing, Strand, London WC2R 1LA +44 (0) 20 7637 5661 direction@mimelondon.com Festival Team Directors: Helen Lannaghan & Joseph Seelig OBE Technical Manager: Bill Deverson Press: Anna Arthur anna@annaarthurpr.com Artists Manager: Stephanie Brotchie BSL Interpreters: Kam Deo Jeni Draper Martin Fox-Roberts After-show discussion hosts: Adrian Berry Flick Ferdinando Lyn Gardner Martin Hargeaves Cheryl Henson Paul Hunter Donald Hutera Sacha Lee Steve Lock Guillaume Pigé Dorothy Max Prior Thomas Wilson Sarah Wright Graphics/web designer: Iain Lanyon keanlanyon.com Marketing: Anne Dillow Richard Fitzmaurice mobiusindustries.com
BOOKING
Barbican Theatre & The Pit, Barbican Cinema 1, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS Fleur Elise Noble Nick Lehane Peeping Tom Kiss & Cry Collective Cinema - The Slapstick Home Online: barbican.org.uk (£3 transaction fee. 60p for film) In Person: At the Ticket & Information Desk, located in the Shop on level G Mon-Sat: 10am-9pm, Sun and Bank Holidays: 12 noon-89pm. No booking fee. By Phone: 020 7638 8891 Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 11am-8pm (£4 transaction fee. 70p for film). Groups: Buy 10 or more tickets and save 20%. Conditions apply. Group line: 020 7382 7211. Discounts: Membership, Young Barbican, under-16, student, school, access group and business discounts may apply. Check all ticket prices when booking.
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269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA Compagnie HMG La Pendue Still Hungry Opposable Thumb Vamos Theatre + 7 Workshops Online: Jacksonslane.org.uk (£1.95 transaction fee) In Person: Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm. (No booking fee) By Phone: 020 8341 4421 (£1.95 transaction fee) Discounts: Senior Citizens, full-time students, under-21s, unwaged and people with registered disabilities, with proof of status. Registered carers attend free of charge with ID. Tube: Highgate Access: jacksonslane.org.uk/your-visit/ access-facilities
Tube/train: Barbican, Moorgate Access: Please contact Box Office 020 7638 8891 or email access@barbican.org.uk
Lilian Baylis Studio Sadler’s Wells Theatre Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN Thick & Tight Online: sadlerswells.com (£3 transaction fee) In Person: Sadler’s Wells Ticket Office (theatre foyer) Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4TN Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm (No booking fee) By Phone: 020 7863 8000 Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm Sun: times vary (£3 transaction fee) Minicom: 020 7863 8015 Groups: Groups of 8+: 20% discount. Discounts: Over 65, under 16, students and unwaged. Save 20% with Sadler’s Wells Membership. Please note that discounts for Advance Concessions, Standbys, Groups and Schools are not available online. Tube: Angel Access: Tel 020 7863 8000
TRAVELLING TO SHOWS
BOOK ONLINE
Please allow extra travel time at weekends due to planned engineering work on tubes and trains - details and route planners at tfl.gov.uk
book online via mimelondon.com
LATECOMERS AND BABES IN ARMS Latecomers may not be admitted and no babes in arms please!
Online booking links, videos, e-brochure, free mailing list, maps and much more!
BOOKING
380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT Ockham’s Razor Theatre Re Workshop A £1.50 transaction fee applies to all bookings. No booking fee in person at the box office, open from one hour before the show Online: shoreditchtownhall.com Discounts: are available to fulltime students, those under 21, senior citizens, unwaged, and people with registered disabilities. Subject to availability. Please mention at the time of booking. Tube/train: Old Street / Shoreditch High St
21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX
Trygve Wakenshaw
The PappyShow Joli Vyann Wes Peden
No booking fees Online: sohotheatre.com In Person: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm Sat: from one hour before the performance By Phone: 020 7478 0100 Discounts: Groups 10+, Senior Citizens, full-time students, under 26, unwaged and registered disabled, with proof of status. Tube: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road. Access: Full details at sohotheatre.com/visit-us/access/
Access: Tel 020 7739 6176 shoreditchtownhall.com
Online: southbankcentre.co.uk* By Phone: 020 3879 9555* In Person: Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office. *There are no transaction fees for in-person bookings or Southbank Centre Members and Supporters Circles. For all other bookings transaction fees apply: £3 online; £3.50 over the phone. If you wish to receive tickets in the post, a £1 delivery charge applies. Concessions: 25% off (limited availability). Full details at southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/ tickets-concessions Tube/Train: Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo Access: 020 3879 9555 southbankcentre.co.uk/access
THANK YOU London International Mime Festival is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. The 2020 London International Mime Festival gratefully acknowledges co-operation / financial support from: Arts Council England Arts Queensland Arts South Australia Australia Council
Cheryl Henson Jim Henson Foundation Institut français
BOOKING PUPPET THEATRE BARGE Little Venice Blomfield Road (opposite 35) London W9 2PF String Theatre No booking fees Online: puppetbarge.com In Person: 10am-6pm (or until show starting time on perf days). By Phone: 020 7249 6876 Adults £13 / Children £9 / Concessions £10 Concessions: Senior citizens, full-time students, unwaged, registered disabled and Westminster City Save card holders, with proof of status Box Office opening times: 10am-6pm (or until show starting time on perf days). Tube: Warwick Avenue Bakerloo line – 3 minutess walk Parking: Sat & Sun (and Bank Holidays) there are no parking restrictions on Blomfield Road. Mon-Fri pay via ParkRight app or phone PayToPark 020 7125 9090 Boats: London Waterbus Co (020 7482 2550) runs a regular boat service from Camden Town to Little Venice (45min journey). Access: 020 7249 6876. Due to the historic nature of the barge we do not have wheelchair access.
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Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT Galactik Ensemble Online: peacocktheatre.com (£3 transaction fee) In Person: (No booking fee) The Peacock: Mon-Fri 12-6pm Sadler’s Wells: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm By Phone: 020 7863 8222 (£3 transaction fee) Tube: Holborn, Temple. Visit Peacocktheatre.com Standby Tickets: For students, unwaged people, BECTU, MU and Equity cardholders, under 16s and over 65s. Cash or card payment only. Available in person only from one hour before the performance. One ticket per person, requires proof of status. From £20 subject to availability. Groups: Groups of 8+: 20% discount.
1 Graces Alley London, E1 8JB Told by an Idiot No booking fees Online: wiltons.org.uk In Person: Mon-Fri 11am-6pm By Phone: 020 7702 2789 Mon-Fri 11am-6pm Discounts: Concessions are available to full-time students, those aged under 16, senior citizens, unwaged and Equity/ BECTU/MU members. All concessions are subject to availability and must be mentioned at the time of booking. Travel: Wilton’s is between Wapping and Whitechapel, close to the historic Tower of London and St Katherine Docks Tube/Train: Tower Hill, Aldgate East, Shadwell Access: 020 7702 2789 or go to wiltons.org.uk/visit/access
Discounts: Sadler’s Wells members: 20% discount. Discounts not available online. Access: 020 7863 8222 peacocktheatre.com/access/ Wilton’s Music Hall
LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL DATE
SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL
Tue 7 Wed 8
SOHO THEATRE
LILIAN BAYLIS STUDIO
WILTO MUSI
JACKSONS LANE
Trygve W 7pm P Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm P
Thu 9
Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm
Thick & Tight 8pm
Fri 10
Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm
Thick & Tight 8pm*
Sat 11
Ockham’s Razor 5pm
Trygve W 4pm/7pm Thick & Tight 8pm
Sun 12
Ockham’s Razor 3pm R
Mon 13
Cie HMG 7.30pm Cie HMG 3pm*/7.30pm Cie HMG 12 noon
Trygve W 7pm
Tue 14
Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm
TBAI 7
Wed 15
Ockham’s Razor 8pm* B Trygve W 7pm
TBAI 7
Thu 16
Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm
Fri 17
Ockham’s Razor 8pm
Trygve W 7pm
La Pendue 7.30pm
TBAI 7
Sat 18
Ockham’s Razor 5pm
Trygve W 4pm*/7pm
La Pendue 3pm/7.30pm*
TBAI 3
Sun 19
Ockham’s Razor 3pm
TBAI 3
La Pendue 5pm
Mon 20
Trygve W 7pm
Tue 21
Trygve W 7pm
Still Hungry 7.30pm*
Wed 22
Trygve W 7pm
Still Hungry 7.30pm
B
Thu 23
Trygve W 7pm
Still Hungry 7.30pm
Fri 24
Trygve W 7pm
Opp. Thumb 7.30pm
Sat 25
Trygve W 4pm/7pm
Opp. Thumb 3pm/7.30pm*
Sun 26 Mon 27
B
Opp. Thumb 5pm THE PEACOCK
Tue 28 Wed 29
Galactik Ens 7.30pm
Thu 30
Galactik Ens 7.30pm
Fri 31
Galactik Ens 7.30pm* Vamos Theatre 7.30pm
Sat 1
Galactik Ens 5pm
Sun 2
Vamos Theatre 7.30pm Vamos Theatre 7.30pm* Vamos Theatre 3pm
P * Meet the Artists after this show Trygve Wakenshaw previews 7 & 8 Jan R Relaxed performances: 12 Jan Ockham’s Razor. 16 Jan TBAI. 18 Jan String Theatre.
B
B 2
8 JAN > 2 FEB 2020
ON’S C HALL
THE PIT BARBICAN CINEMA 1 BARBICAN
7.45pm
Fleur Elise N 7.45pm
7.45pm
Fleur Elise N 7.45pm
PUPPET THEATRE BARGE
3pm /7.45pm Fleur Elise N 7.45pm*
String Th 7.30pm String Th 7.30pm
Fleur Elise N 7.45pm
BARBICAN THEATRE
String Th 7.30pm
7.45pm*
R
SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S PURCELL ROOM
3pm/7.45pm Fleur Elise N 2.30/7.45pm String Th 11am R /3pm Silent Film Triple Bill 3pm String Th 11am/3pm* The PappyShow 7.45pm* Nick Lehane 7.45pm Nick Lehane 7.45pm
The PappyShow 7.45pm String Th 7.30pm
Joli Vyann 7.45pm*
B
Peeping Tom 7.45pm
Nick Lehane 7.45pm*
String Th 7.30pm
Joli Vyann 7.45pm
Peeping Tom 7.45pm
Nick Lehane 7.45pm
String Th 7.30pm
Wes Peden 7.45pm
Peeping Tom 7.45pm* B
Nick Lehane 2.30/7.45pm
String Th 11am/3pm
Wes Peden 3pm*/7.45pm Peeping Tom 7.45pm
String Th 11am/3pm
Wes Peden 3pm
String Th 7.30pm
Kiss & Cry 7.45pm
String Th 7.30pm
Kiss & Cry 7.45pm* B
String Th 7.30pm
Kiss & Cry 7.45pm
String Th 11am/3pm
Kiss & Cry 7.45pm
String Th 11am/3pm
BSL performances: 15 Jan Ockham’s Razor. 21 Jan The PappyShow. 22 Jan Still Hungry. 24 Jan Peeping Tom. 25 Jan Opposable Thumb. 30 Jan Kiss & Cry.