m me LONDON london international mime festival 2014 contemporary visual theatre 8 january > 1 feb Welcome to LIMF 2014 - twenty-five days of Shows using puppetry/animation innovative, contemporary visual theatre. Cie Philippe Genty - Forget Me Not With 8 UK premieres and 6 London Cie Non Nova L’Après-Midi d’Un Foehn premieres, the festival, as always, Cie Non Nova Vortex introduces a stunning programme of new Gecko - Missing work to the Capital that will challenge, excite Jakop Ahlbom - Lebensraum and inspire. Shows using circus skills Cie MPTA/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit Opening with Compagnie Non Nova’s Fet a Mà - Cru magical manipulation of air and identity, the festival explores issues relevant today. Shows using masks Cutting edge and essentially wordless, its Vamos Theatre - Finding Joy many stories are told through circus-theatre, Shows for 12+/parental guidance illusion, masks, extraordinary puppetry and Cie Mpta/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit powerful movement. No shortage of pure Gecko - Missing entertainment either, with Jakop Ahlbom Mat Ricardo - Showman and Alamo Race Track’s brilliant homage to Man Drake - Anatomia Publica silent movies, Philippe Genty’s dreamworld Spitfire Company -One Step Before the Fall flights of fantasy, and France’s award- Vamos Theatre - Finding Joy winning Cocorico. Shows for 15+/parental guidance Città di Ebla - The Dead As ever we offer a big thank you to all of Cie Non Nova - Vortex the festival’s performers, to our venue colleagues, collaborators and supporters, Age guidance for family-friendly shows and as a National Portfolio Organisation Cie Non Nova - L’Après-Midi d’Un Foehn 5+ we gratefully acknowledge the support of Cie Philippe Genty - Forget Me Not 7+ Arts Council England. Fet a Mà - Cru 7+ Jakop Ahlbom - Lebensraum 7+ Start your new year with unusual theatre, Thibaud & Leygnac - Cocorico 7+ created by some of Europe’s most original Shows for people who are deaf, or who have and talented artists - welcome to LIMF 2014. a hearing impairment All shows are suitable, except Mat Ricardo, Joseph Seelig and Helen Lannaghan Showman for which there is a BSL interpreted Festival Directors performance on Fri 24 Jan A short written text is available for: Città di Ebla - The Dead mimelondon.com Cie MPTA/Mathurin Bolze - A Bas Bruit for updates, videos and online booking Shows for people with no, or limited vision Cie 111 - What’s Become of You? cover photo: Spitfire Audio-described performance, Sat 1 Feb this page: Gecko Platform Theatre Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan ‘Even when Nijinsky himself first danced the title role of Debussy’s Faun, it’s doubtful that he provoked COMPAGNIE NON NOVA / his audience to the state of wonder that greeted the lead “ballerina” in PHIA MÉNARD (France) Company Non Nova’s miraculous L’Après-Midi d’un Foehn L’Après-Midi d’un Foehn... a brilliant metaphor of art and the imagination, London Premiere Compagnie Non Nova make what’s essentially a heap of rubbish into an LIMF 2014 opens with something miraculous. improbably perfect interpretation of Borne aloft on currents of air, small plastic bags Debussy’s pastoral score’ become dancers in an enchanting, performance-art The Guardian 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 Loire- Atlantique, 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 pages 4 > 5 Platform Theatre ‘A stunning work by a fearless artist’ Wed 8 > Sat 11 Jan Liberation ‘Genius director Phia Ménard has clearly COMPAGNIE NON NOVA / understood that the body is not necessarily a matter of flesh and bones, but is rather a PHIA MÉNARD (France) projection of the mysteries of the imagination ‘ Time Out (Paris) Vortex UK Premiere In this dark companion piece to her enchanting L’Après- Midi 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 pages 6 > 7 Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House ‘The poetic embodiment of the Thu 9 > Sat 11 Jan march of time... A spellbinding and profound affirmation of all that is human’ COMPAGNIE MPTA / Journal du Dimanche 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 Devised and directed by sell-out runs at the Barbican (2011/2012). Awarded Mathurin Bolze Performers: Mitia Fedotenko, France’s prestigious Prix du Cirque, he is one of Elise Legros, Cyrille Musy today’s most original and brilliant circus creators Production: Compagnie Mpta and his work has regularly featured at the Co-production: Les Célestins, Mime Festival. Théâtre de Lyon; Le Théâtre national de Bretagne, Rennes; Le Parc de la Villette, Paris; Le Théâtre du Rond- Point, Paris; La Passerelle, scène nationale de Gap et des Alpes du Thu 9 > Sat 11 Jan Sud; Le Théâtre de la Renaissance, Thu & Fri: 7.45pm, Sat: 6pm Oullins; Bois de l’Aune, Pôle artistique et culturel de la Communauté du Pays After-show discussion: Fri 10 Jan d’Aix et Marseille; Provence 2013, Runs 60 mins / no interval Capitale Européenne de la Culture; La Verrerie d’Alès en Cévennes; PNC LR, Tickets: £20/£17.50/£12.50/£7/£12 (Students) Espace Malraux, Scène nationale de Book online: roh.org.uk Chambéry et de la Savoie. This visit to London is supported by Tel: 020 7304 4000 Institut français Age guidance: 12+ pages 8 > 9 Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House Fri 31 Jan > Sat 1 Feb ‘A kind of restless delirium, dense with poetic effect’ The Guardian GECKO (UK) ‘Gecko seems to have mastered a new form of communication in which sounds Missing and movement convey meaning more effectively than words’ Total Theatre 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 Supported by Arts Council England. Co-commissioned by Age guidance: 12+ 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 ‘Physical surrealistic theatre with a hint of magic’ De Telegraaf JAKOP AHLBOM & ‘A beautifully arranged ALAMO RACE TRACK slapstick wonderland’ Trouw (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 pages 12 > 13 Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room ‘A hoot, a treat, a revelation and Thu 16 > Sun 19 Jan a tonic..