MIME FEST 2019 – International festival of mime theatre in Polička

MIME FEST 2019 – International festival of mime theatre in Polička

The East-Bohemian town of Polička will be hosting the 8^th edition of the traditional event from 17 to 21 September 2019. The festival will offer contemporary pantomime as well as its fusions with related genres, such as new circus or butoh. This year, Polička will welcome solo artists and companies from Germany, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, France, Chile and Japan. The programme, featuring shows for both adults and children, will be completed by workshops led by international teachers.

The domain of classical pantomime will be represented by the German-French duo Bodecker & Neander, the pupils of the legendary Marcel Marceau. Performing for the first time in the Czech Republic will be the French mime artist Benoit Turjman, nicknamed ‘the new Mr. Bean’ in his country. The famous Finnish group Kallo Collective will present a clownery entitled Receptionists. A high technical level and original pantomime poetics can be seen in the shows of the prominent Polish ensemble Warsaw Mime Center Company.

The festival’s special guest is Sumako Koseki, a Japanese artist whose creations and teaching practice are centred around butoh dance. Apart from her own performances, she will facilitate a two-day workshop. Another workshop will be led by the Chilean actor Carlos Diaz Leon, a specialist in neutral mask expressions.

Representing the Czech contemporary production, the Losers Cirque Company will join forces with the mime artist Radim Vizváry to perform their latest shared project Heroes, an unconventional fusion of pantomime and new circus. It tells the story of heroes fighting for the life of a man who falls in coma after a car crash.

The festival programme includes productions for pre-school children, primary and secondary school pupils and families with children, such as Klaun hudebníkem (Clown the Musician) by the Slovak Teater Komikase and shows by the Brazilian-French tandem Lavo Ta Novo, combining pantomime with magic tricks.

You can also look forward to the traditional Mime Evening – a gala gathering and presentation of leading artists from all the countries taking part in the festival. Performing short numbers, they will show the best of their work during one soirée.

Source: Art Institute – Theatre Institute and Czech News Agency