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From Mark Dominic Adams 29 January
Just wanted to say that I went with my wife and kids to see Wolfe Bowart perform Lalaluna on Sunday afternoon. I have nothing highbrow or even particuarly intelligent to say about it. Simply that it was wonderful, joyous, charming and inventive, and so funny that I cocked myself laughing, to the point that my 8 year old son asked me if I was "alright dad"? Thanks Wolfe, and the Mimefest.

From Chris Hammond, vet 29 January
Wolfe Bowart/LaLaLuna ... was a treat.  If I told you that his hand out before the show said " ... and he grew up to become a professional idiot", that pretty much sums up the whole evening I'd say ... in the best way possible.  His basic theme - that the light in the moon has gone out - lead to some rather lovely ideas about how to restore it, and many other lovely thoughts along the way.  But as probably with much really good mime, many of his little gem-scenes hadn't actually that much to do with the job in hand, getting the light back on in the moon, but they were really fun in the whole process.  And there's one 12 year-old boy out there, who was dragged up on stage, who certainly had some fun - our mime artist (who was playing the ukelele, and needed someone to help him with this) presented the boy with a violin case.  But inside the case was a whoopee cushion with which he was expected to do the accompaniment - no problem to a 12 year-old, I'd say. All his birthdays come at once, he may have thought. And so many other episodes to cherish - I don't think any of us will forget him doubled-up in half into a dustbin, or managing to get all of himself inside a balloon bit by bit, and then getting out of it a different way.  And he's given me some wonderful ideas about the effect of hair-dryers on loo rolls which I'm really keen to try at home (perhaps I'd better wait til I'm in the house on my own or I may be sleeping in the shed for a few days). True, it might have appealed as much if not more to the younger audience, but great clowning, great mime and all very touching.  I think everyone there had a terrific evening (not least of all my family that I took along ... yet more brownie points)

From Claire-Louise French and daughter Jenny 29 January
This show was enjoyed immensely by myself and the two 10 year old girls I had with me. The comments from the elderly people sitting in front of us were very positive as well. It suited all ages and never had a weak moment. Plenty of original ideas and even those I had seen before (or similar) had a new twist and were so well done they still seemed new. Many thanks to Wolfe and his team (we assume?) for a fantastic show, and at a reasonable price. I wish I had bought twice as many tickets! Best wishes also to the long suffering white bunnies.
From Jenny: I have to say that I loved the show! so did my friend Hannah, so did my mum, so did everyone else who was sitting around us.  

From Chris Hammond, vet Wednesday 24 January
And as for Philippe Genty ... a real Mime-man's Mime, I would say ... and only the French can do it (OK - who's going to take me up on that one, eh?).  Not a word in sight, all very ethereal, weird and wonderful but not distasteful, and all so subtly inriguing and interesting too.  I'm not so sure they'd want "La Fin des Terres" translated as Lands End, either. Perhaps "In Another World" would be better.  Certainly other-worldly, and very surreal and dream-like.  And they came up with lots of wonderful ideas and startling images - various threads lead through the whole - linking through from beginning to end - but a whole array of fresh, new thoughts and scenes weave all the way through too.  Various concepts seem readily discernable ... the idea of before and after, of two women who seamlessly (and eye-deceivingly) change from one to the other all the way through in their meetings and dealings with a man. But I rather suspect that we're maybe not expected to understand all of it, but rather let it all wash over us and drink it in, take it as a whole from another world that we don't understand, but find intrigueging and enchanting (and sometimes unsettling). It was certainly very wonderful and enjoyable, and if you missed it - poor you!

From Chris Hammond, vet Tuesday 23 January
I enjoyed Inspector Sands, with their show Hysteria, an intruiging mix of comedy and sadness. With only three of them on stage (a couple having a dinner date, and their waiter) with little more than a table, two chairs, and a serving hatch, it just proves that you don't need huge props or a fancy set to produce good theatre.  I'm always slightly disappointed when there's quite a bit of dialogue in a mime show (who remembers Spymonkey from previous years??) - I like them to take on the complete challenge - but having said that it's still very fair to include it in a mime festival. By far the bulk of what was intended to come across was visual ... for example the bottle of Champagne that arrives in the serving hatch is left there (just giving us all the starting point) while the waiter then carries across an imaginary bottle to open at the table; and the toilet (where they may escape to recover from the faux pas they may have just made at the table) is just a square mat under a spot light.  All quite simple but very clever and effective.
The show is I suppose about three people who are all as completely mad as each other, eccentric being a bit of an understatement, and I was a litttle disappointed in some ways that it puts that in your face a bit. I could have had just as much fun, and they could have got across just as much pathos and laughter, with leaving out some of the slightly more gruesome or distasteful side of their characters. So yes, my expectations were slightly let down, but for all that you should still have gone (and would have enjoyed it I'm sure) and there were some brilliantly clever ideas and effects. To give you an example of one - the waiter stands above the table in a coloured horizontal light which is a different colour to the light on the two diners at a lower level.  As she stands taller the sounds are those of her rather maladjusted and closetted mind, but as she moves down to adjust something on the table, and her face is now coloured with the light that bathes the diners, the sound you here is of their conversation which was previously just mouthed.  And throughout that short scene, as she moves up and down from one light to another, the diners constantly moving mouths do/don't speak and the sound effects of the waiters addled brain correspondingly fades in and out appropriately.

From Beccy Smith, dramaturg Saturday 20 January
For as long as I’ve been involved in theatre I’ve been meeting artists who cite Philippe Genty as a guiding light and inspiration.  I was aware on Saturday evening of trying not to let the weight of expectation overwhelm my experience of his show, but fortunately there was so much in this intriguing and accomplished work that that it was often able to transport me away from  everything I’d preconceived.   I learnt in the after show chat, that much of the piece was based on the unconscious. This made me think about my comments on Faulty Optic and how visual theatre can mimic dream states through its compelling and shifting images.  Here the work felt more playful and more theatrical.  The stunning visuals  - beautifully composed and lit were breathtaking. When theatre /dance is well lit I reckon it can be more beautiful and engaging than the finest of fine art, even than the natural world. And his transformations were a constant revelation.  Some theatre theorists identity transformation as a vital quality in contemporary theatre making – the moment when your imagination as an audience is forced to abruptly change gear as a person becomes an object, or a puppet takes on a life of its own. Genty was master of these moments of theatrical magic.  
Something I missed from Genty’s work though was a sense of engagement.  I suppose by choosing to deal with the secret workings of the human mind as an artist he has chosen to employ his skills in helping us both to recognise and to escape from ourselves.   Many people in the audience seemed to find images that connected for them in the work, but I ultimately felt like I was watching someone else’s visions.  This sense was thrown into stark relief for me by the ideas explored by John Fox is his fantastic LIMF/Total Theatre Talk that afternoon.  
I have to declare an interest here and say that I sometimes write for Total Theatre and so their programming interesting and relevant talks is something important to me. Also, having seen the fanstastic Mr Fox speak on a number of previous occasions I’m a confirmed disciple of his ardent brand of performance-led revolution.  Fox describes art as important for its ability to render the subjective objective, thus playing a significant role in helping us to make sense of our experiences and render meaning onto the blank canvasses of our own lives. Art is something, he believes, that everyone has the skill and vision to make, and is an activity which empowers us both personally, and by extension politically.  That John and his company Welfare State International (RIP) found visual and non traditional theatrical forms to be some of the most potent tools in their armoury of engaged protest and community rejuvenation work over the past thirty years is a vital statement of the significance of the form and its relevance not simply as finely tuned high art but also  as folk expression and human craft.  Saturday was as day of extremes for me –a inspired bit of programming that let us experience the two ends of visual and physical theatre celebrated by Mimefest, each confirming in their own way the potency and vitality of the form.

From Beccy Smith, dramaturg Friday 19 January
I’ve spent the best part of the past month bedded into the West End, putting up a new musical where for the first time I’ve been writing in an aesthetic which is largely literary and conventional.  It’s been a fascinating experience, but it meant I approached this year’s Mime Festival with much more of an outsider’s eye than usual.  Last night was my first taste of this year’s programme - Faulty Optic’s superbly surreal Soiled.  Observing from against this context made me think about what communicating using images and object as opposed to words can achieve. Involving yourself in Soiled is almost like stepping into a world of lucid dreaming - lucid in that you are aware of yourself and your surroundings, though you never feel entirely in control of the world unfolding (quiet literally) before your eyes.   
There’s a primitive psychology playing out in this piece which renders the most alien and bizarre movingly, sometimes disturbingly recogniseable.  Once you get beyond the inevitable searching for a narrative, and surrender yourself to the free flow of images, new connections and meanings start to emerge – new possibilities.  There’s an openness in this sort of performance which leaves a lot of room for the audience whilst gorging your imagination on rich morsels – strong emotions, disturbing images, fragrant words of  fairgrounds and mermaids, decay and boxing.  
I love the strength of the aesthetic in Faulty Optic’s work and their commitment to finding their own rhythm  –  they create work that you can’t engage with in part – it’s all or nothing.  ‘Immersive puppet theatre’ sounds like something you might get at Madame Tussauds but as a theatrical experience it’s exhilarating. Even at those moments when I felt bored or frustrated with the work - it’s much harder to ‘read’ theatre without words (of course!) -  it compelled my attention absolutely.   Maybe being away from this world for a while has made me feel more sensitive about it, or maybe this was simply a fantastic example, but it’s left me feeling very excited about what’s to come.  
My next stop is with Philippe Genty – everyone’s bandying about superlatives – it’ll be enough for me if he can live up to my festival aperitif! 

From Charles Ryder  18/1/07
I thought Faulty Optic's Soiled was an amazing show. From the very start i was captured by the wonderful puppets and the way these 2 masters of the art bring them to life. They have incredible timing and lots of really funny moments. The music says so much more than any words and really captures the character of the puppets. The puppeteers have incredible imaginations so i loved the way they made use out of objects. I felt i was on a great creative journey that they took me on with lots of amazing moments along the way.   Faulty optic have a magic that has been discovered from years of hard play. During the question and answer session what i loved most was there humility and passion for what they are doing.   If you want to be taken on a creative journey with lots of suprises and incredible imagination. Then i would strongly recommend you watch this wonderful show.  

From Beccy Smith, dramaturg 20/11/06
I’m a big fan of the LIMF website: all those little cells which magically refresh themselves each year do a great job of communicating the vibrancy and energy of the programme. I can’t imagine another British festival whose promo shots, if combined, would create such a surreal and colourful smorgasbord. The website is always my first taste of the festival so it seems an appropriate place to start this blog, recording some experiences of my annual Mimefest fling - an overwhelming, passionate, and sometimes tempestuous relationship with a festival whose character is as transformative as its content.
This year I’m first attracted by the sure hand of an old master. The chance to see Philip Genty, whose name usually comes in conversations by people whose ideas I care about and respect in the context of ‘my god, I only realised what theatre could and should be when I saw the work of….’. A visual theatre God, not to mention hugely influential in contemporary British puppetry, his work will be worth seeing as a point of reference if nothing else. Were they all just assuming I’d never make it to France to check him out myself? (I do sometimes find there’s a tendency amongst contemporary British visual theatre makers to be wilfully obscure in their points of reference, you know they sort of thing ‘Really, to truly ‘get’ my work, you had to be in Prague in 1986’) But he should be warned, I’m setting my expectations high.
The energy and invention of a younger generation of course also has its part to play. I’m really pleased to see a couple of bright young British companies on the Board. And it’s work that I can whole heartedly recommend, because I’ve actually already seen it. The Factory is an utterly compelling call to arms, as passionate and intelligent a piece of political theatre that you’ll see, but told using the body, sound and staging in fantastically inventive ways. (Company Collisions also seem to be addressing an overtly political theme this time around – it’s great to see companies feeling able to tackle significant and complex issues through completely theatrical means). Hysteria is one of the most accomplished and complete pieces of devised drama I think I’ve seen. Very human, very English and very, very funny.
So aside from the confidence of age and the energy of youthful exuberance what else looks attractive? Well, what can be really thrilling in contemporary physical / visual theatre (a new moniker is surely due up soon?) is, from my perspective, originality of ideas. It’s all well and good being able to express a simple, honest romance using only juggling balls, or to play out classic clown dynamics at a 90degree angle but when it works, when it really works, the unusual form is the only way to express the content, and the ideas themselves are interesting and sound. At the moment, on first glance, my money for this race is on Rainpan 43 which looks like a classy reinvention of the joyous slapstick of silent movies. There’s so much going on in those old films, so many crucial discoveries were made, if this company can bring it together live and unadulterated it could make for a thrilling and very theatrically satisfying evening. These are first thoughts. Interestingly, I usually book tickets for the festival based entirely on first thoughts and all in one swallow. This year, as your electronic guide, I’m going to take a more measured approach, do a bit of research and some thinking. Am writing more, be back.

From Chris Hammond, vet 5/11/06
Well, this is one of the real treats of the year. It's only 2 or 3 months to the LIMF and I've got to start working out what to go and see.  That little window of sunshine and interest in the middle of winter.  Can't put my finger on what it is about mime that is so intriguing and captivating, but it's there. Perhaps it's the expression of emotion through movement, the same that happens with dance and ballet, perhaps it just makes you think and look at things in a different way .... I suppose my first job is to work out what to take 'er indoors and the children to see as part of the Christmas/New Year fun package.  Hmm ... that's tricky - it's gotta be exciting and intriguing and interesting ... I first took some of the family to BP Zoom - you didn't see that I suppose? It was a few years ago. But boy, did I win my Favourite Uncle stripes that year. They loved it. And then I took my own adopted family for the first time last year to see Circus Ronaldo. There was a bit of flop-footed resistance at first to my taking them, but by the time we'd had all the magic of mime, the pathos and comic action, the spinning pizzas instead of spinning plates I had won them all round ... gabbling about it all the way home and for days afterwards too. So what to choose for the family outing? - it looks like either Wolfe Bowart /La La Luna or Mathurin Bolze/Tangentes. I think they both look brilliant, Mathurin Bolze will probably be dazzling and stunning but I think Wolfe Bowart might just have that extra bit of magic to enchant children. So I'll probably take them to "La La Luna" (but ending up going to both to treat myself!) So what else am I going to take myself off to? High on my list are things to make me laugh or give me a sense of wonder and surprise. I reckon Rainpan 43/All Wear Bowlers is going to have me both intrigued and in stitches, so that's a must. And then Compagnie Phillipe Genty/Le Fin des Terres will have me in awe and impressed. Apart from the family-type mime shows of pure enjoyment, these are the shows I really like as they make you think outside your everyday existence. And then of course I'll have to do one or two of the "eat-your-greens" mime shows - you'll not necessarily come away as much feeling you've had a ball, you might even be a bit down or feel a bit funny from them, but you're glad you went because they were fascinating and perhaps a bit challenging. But I'm still a bit conservative on that front so I'll probably go for Jean Baptiste Andre/Comme en Plein Jour and Inspector Sands/Hysteria cos I reckon they'll be enjoyable as well as being a bit interesting and challenging! And lastly I'm wondering about going to the Josef Houben/Art of Laughter - which almost sounds a bit like a lecture-demonstration and if so should be quite fascinating. Help me understand the theory of mime and comedy. Perhaps give me a few ideas to try out on friends .... hmm ....

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