London International Mime Festival 2020: The circus, clowning and puppetry shows you should see

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Zoe Paskett8 January 2020

After maths and music, mime is our greatest universal language.

London International Mime Festival has been communicating across borders for 44 years, bringing the best in acrobatics, clowning, movement and puppetry from around the world to London’s stages.

This year, 10 overseas companies join eight British groups to perform across the city, as well as providing the chance to learn a little about the art through a series of workshops.

Have a read of our selection of the shows demonstrating the power of physical performance.

Ockham’s Razor: This Time

A brand new show from this award-winning company features a cast ranging in age from 13 to 60. Their specially created aerial equipment will see the performers of Ockham’s Razor tumble through time in this exploration of the ups and downs of family relationships throughout life.

January 8-19, Shoreditch Town Hall

Thick & Tight: Romancing the Apocalypse

Duo Daniel Hay-Gordon and Eleanor Perry made waves with their triple bill at last year’s festival. Now they are back with a programme that combines dance, mime and queer culture with well-known faces from history. Expect appearances from Derek Jarman, Andy Warhol and a two-headed Barbara Cartland.

January 9-11, Sadler’s Wells

Told by an Idiot: The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel

You might not get a completely true telling of the facts about Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel’s relationship, but Told By an Idiot will give you a hilarious homage. Renowned pianist Zoe Rahman's specially composed score will be performed live by Sara Alexander, as the story follows Chaplin and Laurel from obscurity to acclaim.

January 14-18, Wilton’s Music Hall

Nick Lehane: Chimpanzee

(Richard Termine)
Photo by RICHARD TERMINE

Three puppeteers guide a life-size chimpanzee through escape from captivity in a medical facility, as she reminisces about her early life living with humans. Nick Lehane’s show takes inspiration from the real stories of apes adopted into American families, only to be abandoned as they matured.

January 21-25, Barbican

Opposable Thumb: Coulrophobia

Those who really do suffer from coulrophobia (fear of clowns) might want to sit this one out. But everyone else will enter Opposable Thumb’s cardboard world, where two clowns look for meaning with slapstick, puppetry and giant shoes.

January 24-26, Jackson’s Lane

Kiss & Cry: Cold Blood

Julien Lambert

Time for a close-up. It’s all hands on deck with Kiss & Cry Collective, where the action from miniature sets is filmed and projected live. Husband and wife team Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Anne De Mey deliver a whimsical production that tells of seven deaths, with added hand dancing.

January 29-February 1, Barbican

London International Mime Festival runs from January 8-February 2 across London. Tickets and full programme at mimelondon.com

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