Mime Artist

A Mime artist is someone who uses '''mime''' as a theatrical medium or as a Performance Art . In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a '''mummer'''.

The Roman ''Pantomimus'' was a spectacular kind of play in which the Actor was confined to gesticulating and dancing, sometimes with a behind-the-scenes Chorus providing Music and Song .

Various forms of ''dumb show'' evolved in Europe , most notably the Commedia Dell'arte in Italy (with some, often ribald, dialogue).

Modern mime is a branch of theatre in which the performer usually uses no voice but instead performs using spacial and corporeal movement, full-body physical expressions, body language and gesture, often with little or no theatrical props. It is often, but not always, done in white face and the movements and expressions are heightened for greater effect. Movement Theatre is a related branch of theatre which merges elements of mime with that of Modern Dance . Amateur mime artists often use a very limited number of routines from the repertoire of mime artist Marcel Marceau, such as 'walking against the wind', 'peeling a banana', and 'pretending to be in an invisible box'.

Pantomime is also used in the game of Charades .

In 2003 Canadian comedy group Very Tasteful created the film Pantomimus , which aired nationally on CBC television.

The most massive "direct view" exposure pantomime got from being part of concert performances by Postmodern artist Michael Jackson (up to 17 million tickets were sold during his whole career). Back in 1995 , Jackson and his friend Marcel Marceau choreographed common concert for HBO , but the project was frozen at the stage of rehearsals, never being completed because of the singer's illness at the time.

Famous mime artists/movement theatre artists include:

Some, like the Swiss troupe, Mummenschanz , take a more surreal approach to their performances.

David Bowie was a mime before he became a singer.

TRIVIA

In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series, mime artists are banned in the city of Ankh-Morpork by order of the patrician, Havelock Vetinari . Any found operating are hung upside down in a scorpion pit along with a sign saying "Learn the Words".

In a 1976 episode of '' The Goodies '', " Daylight Robbery On The Orient Express ", the trio use Whiteface and perform mime routines in the French 'Le Boring' contest.

In his television series, Disc Jockey and comedian Kenny Everett often dressed as a whitefaced mime similar to Marceau's Bip The Clown, and performed routines based on Marceau's work.

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Mime Artist