London International Mime Festival 2014

m me LONDON

london international mime festival 2014

contemporary visual theatre 8 january > 1 feb

Welcome to LIMF 2014 - twenty-five days of innovative, contemporary visual theatre.

With 8 UK premieres and 6 London premieres, the festival, as always, introduces a stunning programme of new work to the Capital that will challenge, excite and inspire.

Opening with Compagnie Non Nova’s magical manipulation of air and identity, the festival explores issues relevant today.

Cutting edge and essentially wordless, its many stories are told through circus-theatre, illusion, masks, extraordinary puppetry and powerful movement. No shortage of pure entertainment either, with Jakop Ahlbom and Alamo Race Track’s brilliant homage to silent movies, Philippe Genty’s dreamworld flights of fantasy, and France’s awardwinning Cocorico.

As ever we offer a big thank you to all of the festival’s performers, to our venue colleagues, collaborators and supporters, and as a National Portfolio Organisation we gratefully acknowledge the support of Arts Council England.

Start your new year with unusual theatre, created by some of Europe’s most original and talented artists - welcome to LIMF 2014.

Joseph Seelig and Helen Lannaghan Festival Directors

mimelondon.com

for updates, videos and online booking cover photo: Spitfire this page: Gecko

Shows using puppetry/animation Cie Philippe Genty - Forget Me Not Cie Non Nova L’Après-Midi d’Un Foehn Cie Non Nova Vortex Gecko - Missing Jakop Ahlbom - Lebensraum Shows using circus skills Cie MPTA/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit Fet a Mà - Cru Shows using masks Vamos Theatre - Finding Joy Shows for 12+/parental guidance Cie Mpta/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit Gecko - Missing Mat Ricardo - Showman Man Drake - Anatomia Publica Spitfire Company - One Step Before the Fall Vamos Theatre - Finding Joy Shows for 15+/parental guidance Città di Ebla - The Dead Cie Non Nova - Vortex Age guidance for family-friendly shows Cie Non Nova - L’Après-Midi d’Un Foehn 5+ Cie Philippe Genty - Forget Me Not 7+ Fet a Mà - Cru 7+ Jakop Ahlbom - Lebensraum 7+ Thibaud & Leygnac - Cocorico 7+ Shows for people who are deaf, or who have a hearing impairment All shows are suitable, except Mat Ricardo, Showman for which there is a BSL interpreted performance on Fri 24 Jan A short written text is available for: Città di Ebla - The Dead Cie MPTA/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit Shows for people with no, or limited vision Cie 111 - What’s Become of You? Audio-described performance, Sat 1 Feb

Platform Theatre Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan

COMPAGNIE NON NOVA / PHIA MÉNARD (France) L’Après-Midi d’un Foehn London Premiere

LIMF 2014 opens with something miraculous.

Borne aloft on currents of air, small plastic bags become dancers in an enchanting, performance-art ballet, set to the music of Debussy. Gravity no longer exists and boundless adventures await in this magical, heartwarming show. Take a journey that will fire your imagination!

Platform Theatre, University of the Arts London Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan Wed-Fri 5pm, Sat 3pm & 5pm Runs 40 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Online booking only: mimelondon.com Limited seating capacity Early booking recommended Age guidance: 5+ (no babes in arms)

Co-production: Le Centre Dramatique National de Normandie; La Brèche, Cherbourg; EPCC-Le Quai, Angers; Scènes du Jura; La Halle aux Grains, Scène national de Blois; Cirque JulesVerne, Amiens; Le Grand Théâtre LoireAtlantique, Nantes; Théâtre Universitaire de Nantes; L’Arc, Rezé; Parc de la Villette, Paris; La Verrerie, Alés en Cévennes; Les Subsistances, Lyon This visit to London is supported by Institut français

‘Even when Nijinsky himself first danced the title role of Debussy’s Faun, it’s doubtful that he provoked his audience to the state of wonder that greeted the lead “ballerina” in Company Non Nova’s miraculous L’Après-Midi d’un Foehn... a brilliant metaphor of art and the imagination, Compagnie Non Nova make what’s essentially a heap of rubbish into an improbably perfect interpretation of Debussy’s pastoral score’ The Guardian

pages 4 > 5

Platform Theatre Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan

COMPAGNIE NON NOVA / PHIA MÉNARD (France) Vortex UK Premiere

In this dark companion piece to her enchanting L’AprèsMidi d’un Foehn, Phia Ménard’s Vortex pulls us directly into the eye of a hurricane. The beautiful airborne creatures dancing to Debussy’s music are replaced here by a storm of demons, as invisible air currents allow a different set of extraordinary characters to fly and float before our eyes. Poetry is created and history told in this startling show about identity.

Phia Ménard studied theatre, movement and juggling, and was a member of the Jérôme Thomas company before founding circus-theatre troupe Compagnie Non Nova in 1998. It has performed in more than 40 countries around the world.

Platform Theatre, University of the Arts London Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan 8pm After-show discussion: Thu 9 Jan Runs 50 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Online booking only: mimelondon.com Limited seating capacity Early booking recommended Age guidance: 15+ see page 4 for Production credits

‘A stunning work by a fearless artist’ Liberation ‘Genius director Phia Ménard has clearly understood that the body is not necessarily a matter of flesh and bones, but is rather a projection of the mysteries of the imagination ‘ Time Out (Paris)

pages 6 > 7

Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House Thu 9 > Sat 11 Jan

COMPAGNIE MPTA / MATHURIN BOLZE (France) A Bas Bruit UK Premiere

Inspired by the work of French New Wave filmmaker and anthropologist Jean Rouch, Mathurin Bolze’s latest show explores what happens when feelings and ideas rebel against the established order of things. Mass movements take shape long before they have a name or face. Above all, get off the treadmill. Video, dance, and circus come together on this epic journey filled with unpredictable encounters.

A Bas Bruit is the follow up to Du Goudron et des Plumes which earned five star reviews and two sell-out runs at the Barbican (2011/2012). Awarded France’s prestigious Prix du Cirque, he is one of today’s most original and brilliant circus creators and his work has regularly featured at the Mime Festival.

Thu 9 > Sat 11 Jan Thu & Fri: 7.45pm, Sat: 6pm After-show discussion: Fri 10 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval Tickets: £20/£17.50/£12.50/£7/£12 (Students) Book online: roh.org.uk Tel: 020 7304 4000 Age guidance: 12+

‘The poetic embodiment of the march of time...

A spellbinding and profound affirmation of all that is human’ Journal du Dimanche

Devised and directed by Mathurin Bolze Performers: Mitia Fedotenko, Elise Legros, Cyrille Musy Production: Compagnie Mpta Co-production: Les Célestins, Théâtre de Lyon; Le Théâtre national de Bretagne, Rennes; Le Parc de la Villette, Paris; Le Théâtre du RondPoint, Paris; La Passerelle, scène nationale de Gap et des Alpes du Sud; Le Théâtre de la Renaissance, Oullins; Bois de l’Aune, Pôle artistique et culturel de la Communauté du Pays d’Aix et Marseille; Provence 2013, Capitale Européenne de la Culture; La Verrerie d’Alès en Cévennes; PNC LR, Espace Malraux, Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie.

This visit to London is supported by Institut français

pages 8 > 9

Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House Fri 31 Jan > Sat 1 Feb

GECKO (UK) Missing Lily is on a collision course with her past. Her future depends on how much she is willing to remember…

Devised by Amit Lahav’s dynamic, physical dance-theatre company, Gecko, Missing opens up a delicious world of warped imagery and beautiful music, stunning design and unusual choreography.

Founded in 2001 and committed to making visual, visceral, ambitious and original theatre, Gecko is an expanding international ensemble with a string of successful shows to its name. A hit at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe, Missing is a thrillingly staged exploration of the human psyche, an astonishing piece of visual storytelling.

Created by Amit Lahav

Fri 31 Jan > Sat 1 Feb Fri & Sat 7.45pm, Sat mat 3pm After-show discussion: Fri 31 Jan Runs 75 mins / no interval Tickets: £20/£17.50/£12.50/£7/£12 (Students) Book online: roh.org.uk Tel: 020 7304 4000

Age guidance: 12+

‘A kind of restless delirium, dense with poetic effect’ The Guardian ‘Gecko seems to have mastered a new form of communication in which sounds and movement convey meaning more effectively than words’ Total Theatre

Supported by Arts Council England. Co-commissioned by New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich In association with Warwick Arts Centre and DanceEast

pages 10 > 11

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Sat 11 > Wed 15 Jan

JAKOP AHLBOM & ALAMO RACE TRACK (HOLLAND)

Lebensraum UK Premiere

Based on Buster Keaton’s The Scarecrow, Lebensraum brings silent movie magic to the stage. Two inventors live together in a tiny room. Lack of space is not an issue, a system of ropes and pulleys brings everything to hand and furniture has multiple functions the bed is a piano, the bookcase serves as a fridge. Life runs smoothly until the two create a female robot to take care of domestic chores.

But their extremely life-like creation has a mind of its own and soon goes out of control…

Swedish-born director Jakop Ahlbom is an actor, mime, acrobat and all-round theatre maker.

This award-winning production features live music accompaniment from indie-rock band Alamo Race Track.

Sat 11 > Wed 15 Jan 7.45pm Sun: 3pm only After-show discussion: Mon 13 Jan Runs 70 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Book online: southbankcentre.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 9910 Age guidance: 7+ Production: Stichting Pels/Wilma Kuite

‘Physical surrealistic theatre with a hint of magic’ De Telegraaf ‘A beautifully arranged slapstick wonderland’ Trouw

pages 12 > 13

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Thu 16 > Sun 19 Jan

PATRICE THIBAUD & PHILIPPE LEYGNAC (FRANCE) Cocorico London Premiere

Cocorico showcases the talents of two of France’s best-known comic performers.

Skilled shadow-play, sophisticated music-comedy, a nod to spaghetti westerns and the Tour de France are just some of the production’s highlights, as Patrice Thibaud spars with Philippe Leygnac in a very Gallic battle of temperaments. Patrice Thibaud recently starred in the title role for José Montalvo’s production of Don Quichotte at the 2013 Edinburgh International Festival. Philippe Leygnac is a composer/arranger and multi-talented musician.

Played out in a series of improbable, exquisitely executed routines, Cocorico is physical comedy at its very best.

Thu 16 > Sun 19 Jan Thu-Sat: 7.45pm Sun: 3pm After-show discussion: Fri 17 Jan Runs 80 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Book online: southbankcentre.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 9910 Age guidance: 7+ Direction: Susy Firth, Michèle Guigon & Patrice Thibaud Production: Silent Productions, Théâtre National de Chaillot and Théâtre de Vienne This visit to London is supported by Institut français

‘A hoot, a treat, a revelation and a tonic... wit, invention, style, and virtuosity: Cocorico has all these trump cards - but it also has something more elusive.

It has real artistry and a poetic sensibility that understands why we need laughter’ The Herald

pages 14 > 15

Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall Fri 17 > Sun 19 Jan

COMPAGNIE PHILIPPE GENTY (FRANCE) Forget Me Not (Ne M’Oublie Pas) UK Premiere

Plunge into a world of dizzying dreams and beautiful landscapes in this new version of a Philippe Genty classic.

Wizard of imagery Philippe Genty has been devising inspired, original work that blends visual theatre with dance and puppetry for almost forty years. With breathtaking optical illusions and everchanging stage pictures, the results are captivating fantasies.

Forget Me Not is one of Genty’s most memorable creations. Recently re-mounted in a new French-Norwegian collaboration, its dreamworld is infused with snowy, Scandinavian mysteries and colour.

Fri 17 > Sun 19 Jan Fri & Sat 7.30pm Sun: 5pm After-show discussion: Sat 18 Jan Runs 90 mins / no interval Tickets: £15/£20/£25 Book online: southbankcentre.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 9910 Age guidance: 7+

Executive producer : Compagnie Philippe Genty Coproduction : NordTrondelag University College; Maison de la Culture de Nevers et de la Nièvre; Compagnie Philippe Genty With the support of Ministry of Culture - DRAC Bourgogne et de la Ville de Nevers This visit to London is supported by Institut français

‘Philippe Genty’s works are like dreams, transcendentally beautiful and packed with meaning - it’s up to each individual dreamer to discover what applies to him or her’ Chicago Sun-Times

pages 16 > 17

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Mon 20 > Wed 22 Jan

FET A MÀ (FRANCE/SPAIN) Cru UK Premiere

Fet a Mà uses circus as a way of describing and sharing intense emotions - circus as Samuel Beckett might perhaps have imagined it. Based in a fusion of theatre, dance and acrobatics, its work involves no equipment, props or other artifice, only the body. Beneath a calm exterior an apparently simple duet becomes more and more intense.

There are layers of feeling, thought and pain, but humour too. Making its point in a breathtaking series of hand-to-hand acrobatic routines, Cru exhilaratingly explores humanity’s frailty, vulnerability and dependence.

Catalan performers Marta Torrents and Pau Portabella trained at France’s Lido School of Circus Arts in Toulouse and created their company in 2008; artistic collaborator Blai Mateu Trias is coartistic director of the Baro d’Evel circus company.

Mon 20 > Wed 22 Jan 7.45pm After-show discussion: Tue 21 Jan Runs 55 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Book online: southbankcentre.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 9910 Age guidance: 7+ Co-production: La Cascade, Pôle national des Arts du Cirque, Bourg Saint Andéol; Harri Xuri – Louhossa, European project Pyrénées de Cirque.

This visit to London is supported by Institut français

‘Intense and accomplished... Cru typifies the inventiveness and freedom of of new circus. Everything is impressive’ La Dépêche du Midi

pages 18 > 19

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room Thu 23 > Sun 26 Jan

SPITFIRE COMPANY (CZECH REPUBLIC) in association with Damuza Theater

One Step Before the Fall London Premiere ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, you can’t hit what the eyes can’t see’ In the tight confines of a boxing ring, Veronika Kotlíková’s impassioned power dance and a mesmerising wave of live voice and sound from Czech Grammy winner Lenka Dusilová converge in a single, unforgettable moment.

From one of the Czech Republic’s most exciting and dynamic young companies, One Step Before The Fall is an impressionistic vision of triumph and loss, physical combat and exhaustion, inspired by Muhammad Ali’s most challenging fight - his battle with Parkinson’s disease. It pulls no punches. It will blow you away.

Total Theatre Award nominee and Herald Angel winner at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe.

Thu 23 > Sun 26 Jan Thu - Sat 7.45pm, Sun 3pm After-show discussion: Sat 25 Jan Runs 45 mins / no interval Tickets: £17 Book online: southbankcentre.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 9910 Age guidance: 12+

‘Well deserved the standing ovation it received’ Three Weeks (Edinburgh) ‘A gut-wrenching tour-de-force’ The Herald (Edinburgh)

Devised and directed by Petr Bohác and Markéta Vacovská Production: Studio Damúza o.s., Bezhlaví o.s Co-production: UFFO – SCT, Experimental Venue Roxy / NoD This visit to London is supported

by Czech Centre London

pages 20 > 21

Leicester Square Theatre Tue 21 > Sat 25 Jan

MAT RICARDO (UK) Showman London Premiere

With his fast hands, smart mouth and sharp suit, new circus pioneer, television and variety artiste Mat Ricardo is the ‘Gentleman Juggler’.

Winner of Best Speciality Act at the London Cabaret Awards 2012 he brings a show packed full of big laughs, serious skills and breathtaking spectacle.

Premiered at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe to huge success, Showman is a marvel of object manipulation and clever patter that’s engaging and informed about the mystique and history of his noble craft.

‘Mat Ricardo is the Derren Brown of juggling’ LoveFringe Tue 21 > Sat 25 Jan 7pm After-show discussion: Wed 22 Jan BSL interpreted performance Fri 24 Jan Runs 60 mins / no interval Tickets: £12 Book online: leicestersquaretheatre.com Tel: 08448 733 433 Age guidance: 12+ Presented in association with Gag Reflex Management

‘It takes more than dexterity to bring this timeless art to the forefront. It takes dazzling showmanship, spot-on comic timing and bucketloads of style. It takes Mat Ricardo!’

ER Magazine ‘The outstanding juggler of the cabaret and variety scene. Immensely skilled and very funny’ Time Out

pages 22 > 23

The Pit, Barbican Tue 21 > Sat 25 Jan

MAN DRAKE (FRANCE) Anatomia Publica UK Premiere

A soldier, missing in action and presumed dead, returns to find his wife living with another man. Inspired by war-time events in director Tomeo Vergés’ own family, Anatomia Publica is the unsettling depiction of an unusual accommodation, a bizarre and tense ménage à trois.

At the crossroads of dance and theatre the production unfolds as a gripping piece of physical story-telling in which fractured movement, sound and image clash, reinforce and contradict each other, the drama heightened by a thrumming soundscape.

After practising as a doctor, Catalan-born dancer/director, Tomeo Vergés founded Man Drake in 1992. An original member of Maguy Marin’s famous May B company, he has also worked with François Verret and Régine Chopinot.

Tue 21 > Sat 25 Jan 7.45pm After-show discussion: Thu 23 Jan Runs 55 mins / no interval Tickets: £16 Book online: barbican.org.uk Tel: 0845 120 7511 Age guidance: 12+ Performers: Sébastien Laurent, Sandrine Maisonneuve, Alvaro Morell, Véronique Petit.

Director: Tomeo Vergés Coproduction : Compagnie Man Drake/Tomeo Vergés; Théâtre de l’Espace, scène nationale de Besançon/DRAC Franche-Comté; Atelier de Paris-Carolyn Carlson, Ménagerie de Verre - Studiolab.

Man Drake/Tomeo Verges compagnie is funded by the Ministry of Culture/DRAC Ile-de-France.

This visit to London is supported by Institut français

Presented in association with the Barbican

‘Astonishing virtuosity and humour’ La Terrasse

pages 24 > 25

The Pit, Barbican Tue 28 Jan > Sat 1 Feb

CITTÀ DI EBLA (ITALY) The Dead UK Premiere

James Joyce’s short story The Dead, first published in 1914 in his anthology, Dubliners, culminates in a moment of epiphany. At the Morkan sisters’ grand dance and dinner party, a song heard by chance poignantly reminds a married woman of her first love, a young man who died for her sake. The consequences are far reaching. Using real-time, projected, photographic images to counterpoint the action on stage, Città di Ebla’s production is a strikingly contemporary and impressionistic reinvention of Joyce’s novella, evoking both passion and nostalgia.

Founded in Forli in 2004, Città di Ebla plays a leading role in Italy’s network of innovative theatre makers. This production, created by director Claudio Angelini and designer/photographer Luca Di Filippo, premiered at the Romaeuropa Festival in 2012.

Tue 28 Jan > Sat 1 Feb 7.45pm After-show discussion: Wed 29 Jan Runs 55 mins / no interval Tickets: £16 Book online: barbican.org.uk Tel: 0845 120 7511 Age guidance: 14+ Performers: Valentina Bravetti and Luca Di Filippo Production: Città di Ebla, Romaeuropa Festival 2012, Comune di Forlì.

This visit to London is supported by Regione Emilia Romagna

Presented in association with the Barbican

‘Extraordinarily poetic, evocative, striking and challenging’ Mentelocale.it

pages 26 > 27

Barbican Theatre Thu 30 Jan > Sat 1 Feb

COMPAGNIE 111 AURÉLIEN BORY/ STÉPHANIE FUSTER (FRANCE) What’s Become of You? (Questcequetudeviens?)

UK Premiere It starts with a guitar in the darkness.

In a beautifully stark setting, Aurélien Bory’s creation for Stéphanie Fuster explores the lure of flamenco, its familiar heat and passion refined to their essence as a powerful, personal story unfolds.

Born in Toulouse, Stéphanie Fuster went to Seville to immerse herself in flamenco dance and lifestyle, becoming a soloist with the Israel Galvan Company. Director/choreographer Aurélien Bory paints stage pictures impossible to forget. Five of his visually stunning productions have previously featured at the Mime Festival. His response to Stéphanie Fuster’s commission takes flamenco in a new direction. The traditional elements are there, with live vocals and guitar, but the context is different - this is the portrait of an artist, an emancipated woman in search of herself, who lives and who dies.

Thu 30 Jan > Sat 1 Feb 7.45pm After-show discussion: Thu 30 Jan Audio-described performance: Sat 1 Feb Runs 60 mins / no interval Tickets: £16 - £28 Book online: barbican.org.uk Tel: 0845 120 7511 Age guidance: 8+

‘Original and delicate, it has the piquancy of an exotic dish; one savours every morsel’ Le Monde

With Stéphanie Fuster dance José Sanchez guitar Alberto Garcia voice Production Compagnie 111 Aurélien Bory Coproduction and rehearsals Festival ¡Mira! / TnBA - Théâtre national de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne

Théâtre Garonne scène européenne Toulouse; Théâtre de Cavaillon scène nationale; La Fabrica Flamenca - Toulouse This visit to London is supported

by Institut français

Presented in association with the Barbican

pages 28 > 29

Jacksons Lane Fri 24 > Sat 25 Jan

VAMOS THEATRE (UK) Finding Joy London Premiere A comic, anarchic, touching and heroic full mask adventure Joy is creative, funny, loves to dance, and is losing her memory; her grandson Danny is rebellious, fearless, bright, and always getting into trouble. When, out of the blue, Danny decides to become Joy’s carer, their unexpected and playful bond leads them into uncharted territory…

Based in Worcester, Vamos Theatre tours nationally and internationally, taking its unique style of innovative and engaging theatre to small and large communities alike. Almost always rooted in real life stories its work brims with visual inventiveness, original music, puppetry, dexterity, and sense of fun.

Fri 24 > Sat 25 Jan Fri & Sat 8pm, plus Sat 3pm After-show discussion: Fri 24 Jan Runs 105 mins including interval Tickets: £14.95 (£12.95 concessions) Book online: jacksonslane.org.uk Tel: 020 8341 4421 Age guidance: 12+

‘Vamos is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most innovative, exciting full-mask mime companies currently touring. Finding Joy will only enhance its reputation... Tribulation and frustration are brilliantly transcended by comic inventiveness and an immensely affirmative joie de vivre. It is an intensely moving tribute and triumph. Catch it while you can’ The Stage

Director: Rachael Savage Funded by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts Co-production: Vamos Theatre; The Courtyard, Herefordshire’s Centre for the Arts. Created in association with movement play specialists JABADAO

pages 30 > 31

WORKSHOPS Stoker among others, winning the Funniest Play of the Year Award in Sweden for her version of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. Lately, she has been working in opera productions as movement director for the tenor and director, Rolando Villazon.

BROADEN YOUR MIME Led by Nola Rae Fri 10 > Sat 11 Jan, 10am - 5pm Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3HY £120 Bookings: www.eventbrite.co.uk An intensive workshop on how to create textless theatre, paying special attention to articulation, rhythm and quality of movement and gesture.

Learn to move one part of the body at a time for maximum effect. Learn to bounce ideas around. Learn that visual comedy is the art of eliminating the extraneous. Learn that comedy can be a well-timed trip, or just a raised eyebrow and a slow smirk. In this workshop the ‘fourth wall’ disappears, emotions are projected outwards and quirky, ingenious ideas of performance explored.

For the enthusiastic student, professional or amateur, who is reasonably fit and not afraid to move. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and flexible shoes and bring one juggling ball and a yoga mat or towel for floor work.

Nola Rae trained at the Royal Ballet School in London and with Marcel Marceau in Paris. She has created 10 solo shows and 5 two-person shows to date. Her long performing career has taken her to 68 countries. As a director and subverter of tragedies into comic plays, Nola has adapted works by Shakespeare, Strindberg, Ibsen, Dumas and Bram

Nola has performed many times at the London International Mime Festival which she founded with Joseph Seelig in 1977.

She was appointed MBE in 2008.

HOW TO BE A STUPID - or The Clown’s Intelligence Led by Angela de Castro in association with The Why Not Institute Mon 6 > Fri 17 January 9am - 6pm (break days Sat 11-Sun 12 Jan) £597 for the 10 days London venue – details will be released to confirmed participants Email: whynotinstitute@aol.com for more information and a booking form.

Back at LIMF by popular demand, Angela de Castro teaches her unique full-time, fullon 10 day workshop exploring the state of clown and clown persona development.

An intense, inspiring, challenging and transformatory journey, with laughs and play along the way, this workshop is a rare opportunity to discover the secrets of the clown in a supportive environment.

For beginners and those who just want an experience of personal development, the course will take you on a journey of discovery. For those who are already clowns, this process will help you find truthfulness and depth in your clowning,

encompassing the tragic as much as the comic. Angela de Castro has been awarded fellowships by NESTA Dreamtime Fellowship, the Arts Foundation, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She is internationally recognised for her research, performing, teaching and promotion of the art of clowning.

Come prepared for challenges and change.

CLOWNING IN TRAGEDY AND SERIOUS THEATRE Led by Angela de Castro in association with The Why Not Institute Mon 20 > Fri 24 January 9am - 6pm £297 for the 5 days. Booking details as for How To Be A Stupid – see above.

Five day, full time workshop for experienced clowns and theatre/ performance practitioners who have already completed the How To Be A Stupid course, and for other very experienced clowns.

This advanced workshop addresses the use of clowning in tragic and serious theatre, exploring themes such as death, betrayal and violence. . The use of the state of clowning in such contexts brings a completely different dynamic in the approach to scene development and character, conception and playing. It offers practitioners tools and choices to enhance their performance and the courage to pursue emotions and situations that are uncomfortable, but nevertheless mirror life as it is. This workshop examines how clown training can prepare actors for plays which are not generally regarded as comic but in which the emotional engagement can be heightened by incorporating clowning techniques.

Angela de Castro has been developing this specific workshop over the last ten years in collaboration with the acting departments of universities in Germany and Scotland. This is the first time it is being offered in London.

PUPPETS AND THE UNSPOKEN SCRIPT WORKSHOP Led by Mervyn Millar Sat 25 Jan, 10am - 5pm Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3HY £60 Bookings: www.eventbrite.co.uk A one-day workshop for performers with an interest in puppetry and physical performance. You should ideally have an interest in or some experience with puppetry, but beginners will certainly benefit.

We will work on developing a sense of how different types of puppet can be read by an audience and achieving clarity in wordless performance - what are the tools and techniques we need to use in puppetry.

Mervyn Millar is the director of Significant Object and a director and designer of puppets. He has worked extensively in puppetry, theatre and opera including a long association with Handspring (Crow, War Horse, Or You Could Kiss Me). He has directed the puppetry for War Horse in London, New York, Toronto and Berlin and has been part of the creative team from the first workshops.

He has written a book about the making of the show, The Horse’s Mouth: Staging Morpurgo’s War Horse. pages 32 > 33

WORKSHOPS

CREATIVE PRACTICE WORKSHOP Led by David Glass Sat 18 Jan, 10am – 5pm Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 3HY £60 Bookings: www.eventbrite.co.uk A practical experience of the creative process, led by one of the founding figures of physical theatre in the UK. The workshop will be valuable for anyone involved in devised theatre wanting to explore the five stages of Creative Process: Preparation, Origination, Organisation, Presentation and Reflection.

By going through each stage, participants will gain an understanding of creativity that will inform and enrich their own work.

Participants should have some experience of making theatre.

Trained as a dancer and mime, David Glass is a writer, director and teacher. In the 1980s he toured internationally as a soloist, and in the 1990s established the David Glass Ensemble, producing a series of influential and successful shows including Popeye, Les Enfants du Paradis, La Dolce Vita and Gormenghast. In 2000 he began The Lost Child Project to engage with street children in developing countries through the medium of visual theatre, and in which his many collaborators included Amit Lahav, co-founder of Gecko. It was during this time that he formulated the Creative Process.

THE POETIC BODY Taught by Thomas Prattki, Founder and Director of LISPA, and other members of the LISPA team Sat 18 > Sun 19 Jan 10am - 4pm London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), Three Mill Lane, London, E3 3DU £120 for the two days Bookings: welcome@lispa.co.uk or call 020 8215 3390 Website: www.lispa.co.uk This weekend workshop explores the idea of embodiment as a key element in the process of developing original art. Through use of the Neutral Mask, a cornerstone of LISPA’s teaching philosophy, participants are invited to make links between movement and emotion, life and art, the physical body and the poetic body. Additionally the work will serve to gain a deeper understanding of the essential dynamic forces within any art form, their vital function in the construction of artistic work, and how to apply them to dramatic creation.

This workshop is designed for those practitioners interested in exploring physical theatre. It also serves as a preparation for the Devising Theatre and Performance workshop.

DEVISING THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE Taught by Thomas Prattki, Founder and Director of LISPA, and other members of the LISPA team Sat 25 > Sun 26 Jan 10am - 4pm LISPA, 3 Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, London, E3 3DU £120 for the two days Bookings: welcome@lispa.co.uk or call 020 8215 3390 Website: www.lispa.co.uk The idea of the performer as a creator of her/his own work is no longer a fringe phenomenon, but reflects the broad desire of an entire generation of performers to develop their very own artistic voice and to take creative responsibility in shaping their vision of life. This two-day workshop offers an introduction to both collaborative and individually devised theatre and performance practice. It addresses all performers, dancers, actors, directors and teachers who have a specific interest in the idea of devising original work.

Both LISPA workshops can be booked for £225.

LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH +44 (0) 20 7637 5661 direction@mimelondon.com Directors: Helen Lannaghan & Joseph Seelig Festival Managers: Lucy Bestwick & Dudley Hinton Production Manager: Bill Deverson Audio Description: Mary Plackett & Ellie Packer BSL Interpreter: Jacqui Beckford Discussion Facilitators: Diana Damian, Anthony Dean, Donald Hutera, Dick McCaw & Tim Roberts Editorial contribution: Penny Francis & John Ellingsworth Press Representatives: Arthur Leone PR 020 7836 7660 Marketing Consultants: Mobius Industries 020 7269 9929 Graphic Design & Website: Kean Lanyon 020 7697 8453 Brochure printed by Axis axisonline.co.uk Photo credits CHARLEROI DANSES © Marteen Vanden Abeel CIE 111/BORY/FUSTER © Aglae Bory CIE MPTA/BOLZE © Christophe Raynaud de Lage CIE NON NOVA © Jean-Luc Beaujault CIE PHILIPPE GENTY © Pascal François CITTA DI EBLA © Luca di Filippo FET A MA © Arthur Bramao GECKO © Richard Haughton & Robert Golden JAKOP AHLBOM © Stephan van Hesteren & Matusi MAN DRAKE © Axel Perez MAT RICARDO © Sin Bozkurt & Mat Ricardo Mervyn Millar © Hans Jörg Michel Nola Rae © Matthew Ridout THIBAUD & LEYGNAC © Rebecca Josset SPITFIRE COMPANY © Martin Marak VAMOS THEATRE © Alienpen & Silvia Cataudo

pages 34 > 35

Barbican Theatre Wed 25 > Sat 28 June

CHARLEROI DANSES (BELGIUM)

Kiss & Cry - nano danses Michèle Anne De Mey & Jaco Van Dormael UK Premiere

Blurring boundaries between artistic disciplines, Kiss & Cry brings together a diverse group of Belgian artists to create this sweeping, romantic work. A woman near the end of her life remembers her greatest loves, starting with her first and truest: a boy whose hand she touched for a few seconds on a crowded train when she was twelve years old.

In a stunning blend of cinema, movement, text and theatre, human hands portray the characters of a sensual drama as a film is simultaneously made and screened before our eyes.

Belgian choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey is an Associate Artist at Charleroi Danses. Jaco Van Dormael’s films have won awards at many film festivals including Cannes and Venice.

Wed 25 > Sat 28 June 7.45pm After-show discussion: Thu 26 June Tickets: £16-£28 Book online: barbican.org.uk Tel: 0845 120 7511 Runs 80 mins / no interval Age guidance: 8+

‘It’s simply the most magical performance I’ve seen in a long, long time. It should be a worldwide hit’ Utopia Parkway

COMING IN JUNE

Original idea: Michèle Anne De Mey & Jaco Van Dormael Collective creation: Grégory Grosjean, Thomas Gunzig, Julien Lambert, Sylvie Olivé, Nicolas Olivier Choreography, NanoDanses Michèle Anne De Mey, Grégory Grosjean Directed by Jaco Van Dormael Texts: Thomas Gunzig Production Charleroi Danses, Centre chorégraphique de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles / le manège.mons, Centre Dramatique Coproduction Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg

Presented in association with the Barbican pages 36 > 37

BOOKING

Barbican Theatre & The Pit, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS For events on pages 24-29 and 36-37 Online: barbican.org.uk (£2 transaction fee applies) In Person: At the Advance Box Office, Silk Street entrance, ground floor (Level G).

Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun and Bank Holidays 12 noon-9pm.

By Phone: 0845 120 7511 Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 11am-8pm (£3.50 transaction fee applies).

Tickets sent by 1st class post, time permitting.

By Post: Box Office, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. Cheques payable to ‘Barbican Centre’ or your credit card details. Please include an SAE or add 50p for postage.

Students: Are entitled to half price tickets in advance, for all Wed eves. Proof of eligibility required. Conditions apply.

Groups: Buy 10 or more tickets and save 20%. 020 7382 7211.

Conditions apply.

Families: Up to four under 16s at half price with each full paying adult. Conditions apply.

Tube/train: Barbican, Moorgate Access: Please contact Box Office or email access@ barbican.org.uk

269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA For Vamos Theatre Online: jacksonslane.org.uk (transaction fee applies) In Person: Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm.

By Phone: 020 8341 4421 (transaction fee applies)

By Post: 269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA. Cheques payable to ‘Jacksons Lane’ Collect tickets from the Box Office, or add 50p for postage.

Concessions: Senior Citizens, students, under 16s and unwaged, with proof of status.

Carers attend free of charge.

Tube: Highgate Access: See website for details

BOOK ONLINE VIA MIMELONDON.COM Online booking links, slideshows, ebook and pdf of this brochure, largetext page, free mailing list, links to Company websites with videos and much more!

6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX For Mat Ricardo Online: leicestersquaretheatre.com In Person: Mon-Sat 2.30pm-8pm, Sun 2-6pm.

By Phone: 08448 733 433 Booking fees apply except in person at the Box Office.

Phone: £1.75 per ticket Online: £1.50 per ticket Booking fees capped at £4 Tube: Leicester Square Buses: frequent buses along Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road Access: See website for details Or email boxoffice@ leicestersquaretheatre.com

TRAVELLING TO SHOWS Please allow extra travel time at weekends due to planned engineering work on tubes and trains - details and route planners at www.tfl.gov.uk

LATECOMERS AND BABES IN ARMS Latecomers may not be admitted and no babes in arms please!

platform theatre

Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, University of the Arts London. Handyside Street, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AA

Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall

For events on pages 8-11

For Cie Non Nova

Online: roh.org.uk (transaction fee applies)

Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall

Online sales only: L’Aprè-Midi d’un Foehn > Vortex > No transaction fee Door sales: Any unsold tickets will be available for sale on the door 1 hour before the performance Tube/Train: King’s Cross, St Pancras.

Leave King’s Cross tube via Pancras Road/Regent’s Canal exit View a map at platform-theatre.com/contact Access Information: email platformboxoffice@arts.ac.uk

In Person: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm.

The Box Office is in the Link, connecting Bow Street to Covent Garden Piazza.

By Phone: 020 7304 4000 Most major credit and debit cards are accepted. (transaction fee applies)

By Post: PO Box 6, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7QA. Cheques payable to ‘Royal Opera House’ Tube: Covent Garden Access: See website for details

Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX For events on pages 12-21 Online: southbankcentre.co.uk (transaction fee applies) Concessions: Limited concessions are available for each performance.

Visit southbankcentre.co.uk for more information.

In Person: Royal Festival Hall 10am-8pm daily No transaction fee

By Phone: 0844 847 9910 9am-8pm (transaction fee applies) Tube: Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo

THANK YOU The 2014 London International Mime Festival gratefully acknowledges co-operation/ financial support from: Arts Council England; Barbican; Czech Centre, London; Institut français; Regione Emilia Romagna; Southbank Centre (registered charity).

Access Information: 0844 875 0073 accesslist@ southbankcentre.co.uk

pages 38 > 39

london international mime festival 2014

london interna

DATE

PLATFORM THEATRE

LINBURY STUDIO THEATRE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Wed 8

Non Nova L’Après-Midi 5pm Non Nova Vortex 8pm

Thu 9

Non Nova L’Après-Midi 5pm Non Nova Vortex 8pm*

Mpta/Bolze 7.45pm

Fri 10

Non Nova L’Après-Midi 5pm Non Nova Vortex 8pm

Mpta/Bolze 7.45pm*

Sat 11

Non Nova L’Après-Midi 3 +5pm Non Nova Vortex 8pm

Mpta/Bolze 6pm

SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S PURCELL ROOM

SOUT QUEE

Jakop Ahlbom 7.45pm

Sun 12

Jakop Ahlbom 3pm

Mon 13

Jakop Ahlbom 7.45pm*

Tue 14

Jakop Ahlbom 7.45pm

Wed 15

Jakop Ahlbom 7.45pm

Thu 16

Thibaud/Leygnac 7.45pm

Fri 17

Thibaud/Leygnac 7.45pm*

Phili

Sat 18

Thibaud/Leygnac 7.45pm

Phili

Sun 19

Thibaud/Leygnac 3pm

Phili

Mon 20

Fet a Mà 7.45pm

Tue 21

Fet a Mà 7.45pm*

Wed 22

Fet a Mà 7.45pm

Thu 23

Spitfire 7.45pm

Fri 24

Spitfire 7.45pm

Sat 25

Spitfire 7.45pm*

Sun 26

Spitfire 3pm

Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31

Gecko 7.45pm*

Sat 1

Gecko 3+7.45pm

*

Meet the Artists after the show

# BSL interpreted perforamce: Fri 24 Jan

≈

Audio-d

m me LONDON 8

january > 1 feb

nternational mime festival 201 ernational mime festival 2014

TRE’S

SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE’SCENTRE’SLEICESTERLEICESTER SQUARE SQUARE THE PIT, THE PIT, QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL THEATRE THEATRE BARBICANBARBICAN

BARBICANBARBICAN THEATRE THEATRE

LAN JACKSONSJACKSONS LANE

7.45pm

3pm

*7.45pm*

7.45pm

7.45pm

nac pm 7.45pm

nac Genty 7.30pm pm*7.45pm* PhilippePhilippe Genty 7.30pm

nac Genty 7.30pm* pm 7.45pm PhilippePhilippe Genty 7.30pm*

nac 3pm Genty 5pm PhilippePhilippe Genty 5pm

m

m*

Mat Ricardo 7pm Man7.45pm Drake 7.45pm Mat Ricardo 7pm Man Drake

m

Mat Ricardo Man7.45pm Drake 7.45pm Mat Ricardo 7pm* 7pm* Man Drake

m

Mat Ricardo 7pm Man7.45pm* Drake 7.45pm* Mat Ricardo 7pm Man Drake

m

Mat Ricardo Man7.45pm Drake 7.45pm Mat Ricardo 7pm # 7pm Man #Drake

Vamos 8pm* Vamos 8pm*

m*

Mat Ricardo 7pm Man7.45pm Drake 7.45pm Mat Ricardo 7pm Man Drake

Vamos 3+8p Vamos 3+8pm

≈

di Ebla 7.45pm Città di Città Ebla 7.45pm di Ebla 7.45pm* Città di Città Ebla 7.45pm* di Ebla 7.45pm 111 7.45pm* Città di Città Ebla 7.45pm Cie 111 Cie 7.45pm* di Ebla 7.45pm 111 7.45pm Città di Città Ebla 7.45pm Cie 111 Cie 7.45pm di Ebla 7.45pm 111 ≈ 7.45pm Città di Città Ebla 7.45pm Cie 111 Cie 7.45pm

≈ Audio-described performance: Sat 1 Feb Audio-described performance: Sat 1 Feb

≈

mimelondon.co mimelondon.com pages 40 > 41

m me LONDON

mimelondon.com

for updates, videos and online booking

photo: Compagnie 111