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Puppetry
Dorothy Max Prior on how puppetry fared at the Fringe Festival
2005
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Puppets Everywhere
2005 UK puppetry festivals round-up by Penny Francis
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MOVING
INTO MIME
Animations
Online preview of puppetry and object animation at the London
International Mime Festival 2006
photos:
Mossoux Bonte, Familie Floez, Faulty Optic, Stephen Mottram. |
 The
28th London International Mime Festival tags itself as ‘eye-popping
visual theatre for the digital age’, placing the emphasis
perhaps on the shows using digital technologies. However, another
strong characteristic of this year’s Mime Festival is
the number of shows that feature puppetry or object animation
of one sort or another, giving proof if any more were needed
that puppetry/animation is a vital force in contemporary visual
theatre practice.
 These
vary from the indisputably puppet-theatre productions - such
as Stephen Mottram, Faulty Optic and Blind Summit - through
to
physical/visual theatre that uses object animation, such as
Mossoux Bonte and Total Theatre Awards 2005 winner Andrew Dawson.
And if you really want
to stretch your definitions, there’s a fair amount
of juggling – which of course is object animation, although
not representational
so hardly puppetry, so perhaps
this is pushing boundaries a little too far – and (perhaps
we are really taking off in wild directions now?), the pizza-flipping
antics of Circus Ronaldo. Then there’s internationally-celebrated
mask company Familie Floez – the mask-puppet relationship
is a whole other discussion, but there is no denying that they
are part of the same family of theatre practice, so to speak.
But rather than make any more value judgements on what is on
offer at this eclectic and exciting festival of innovative physical
and visual performance, and whether it is or isn’t puppetry
or object animation, we offer you the complete LIMF 2006 performance
listings so that you can make up your own minds on what of their
programme fits the every-loosening definitions…
London International Mime Festival 11-29 January 2006
COMPAGNIE 111 (France) UK Premiere
More Or Less Infinity
QEH/ South Bank Wed 11-Fri 13 Jan
Circus skills, movement and extraordinary video imagery.
COMPAGNIE MOSSOUX BONTE (Belgium)
Twin Houses
Purcell Room/South Bank Sat 14-Tue 17 Jan
Eerie and sinister wordless monologue for one performer and
five mannequin alter egos. A revival of a visual theatre classic,
not to be missed!
 FAULTY
OPTIC (UK) London
Premiere
Horsehead or The Rise and Fall of the Back and Front
ICA Sun 15-Thur 19 Jan
Animated figures and mechanical sets mixed with video, music
and sounds –all spiked with wicked humour. See the reviews
section in this e-dition of Animations for more on this wonderful
new show.
CIRCUS RONALDO (Belgium) UK Premiere
Cucina dell-Arte
Barbican Pit Tue 17-Sat 21 Jan
Culinary, clowning and pizza-flipping skills from this famous
circus family.
COMPAGNIE ADRIEN M (France) UK Premiere
Convergence
Purcell Room/South Bank Thur 19-Sun 22 Jan
A spectacular mix of actual and virtual juggling, light and
sound.
ANDREW DAWSON (UK)
Absence and Presence
ICA Fri 20-Sat 21 Jan
Using movement, music, mime, sculpture and much wry humour -
an intimate exploration of loss and guilt. Winner of 2005 Total
Theatre Award and Herald Angel.
MATILDA LEYSER (UK) London Premiere
Line, Point, Plane
Linbury at the Royal Opera House Fri 20-Sat 21 Jan
Powerfully demonstrating the ability of aerial skills to subtly
and poignantly dramatise metaphor. Shortlisted Total Theatre
Awards 2005
GAMARJOBAT (Japan) London Premiere
Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer Sat 21-Sun 22 Jan, 1pm. Free.
Two mohicaned Japanese street entertainers - funky, free-wheeling
silent physical comedy.
CLAIRE HEGGEN/THEATRE DU MOUVEMENT (France)
UK Premiere
Life's What You Make It
Purcell Room/South Bank Mon 23-Tue 24 Jan
Performed in French, with film, a fascinating portrait of Heggen’s
own life and experiences as a performer.
PIERRE RIGAL/COMPAGNIE DERNIERE MINUTE (France)
UK Premiere
Erection
ICA Mon 23-Wed 25 Jan
Stunning sound and lightscapes, and a performance of extraordinary
power and grace.
FAMILIE
FLOEZ (Germany) London Premiere
Ristorante Immortale
Purcell Room/South Bank Wed 25-Sun 29 Jan
Berlin based Familie Floez blend masks, movement and music.
 STEPHEN
MOTTRAM'S ANIMATA - RETROSPECTIVE (UK)
BAC Tue 24-Sun 29 January
Artist, craftsman and puppeteer Stephen Mottram’s renowned
trilogy, all three shows presented together for the very first
time.
Tue-Thur: The Seed Carriers
Fri-Sat: The Seas of Organillo
Sun: In Suspension
LES MARCHES DE L'ETE (France) UK Premiere
Le Modèle de Molinier or The Narcissist's
Ceremony
ICA Fri 27-Sun 29 Jan
Solo performance inspired by Molinier's auto-erotic art exploring
gender ambiguity, fantasy and illusion.
BLIND SUMMIT (UK) London Premiere
Lowlife
BAC Tue 10 Jan-Sun 7 Feb
Fresh from their success at Edinburgh – and at ENO with
Madam Butterfly - Blind Summit bring their alcohol-soaked adult
puppetry cabaret of deadbeats and losers to London. Shortlisted
Total Theatre Awards 2005 at the Edinburgh Fringe. See the >Total
Puppetry feature in this e-dition of Animations for more
on this.
For
further details and to book tickets, see www.mimefest.co.uk
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