Robert Tanitch reviews Mummenschanz at Peacock Theatre, London WC2
Mummenschanz is the name of an experimental Swiss mime troupe and they bill themselves as “The Musicians of Silence.” They have been around since 1972 and have built up a world-wide audience for their wordless show.
What they do best is to produce the strangest and weirdest monster shapes out of rubber foam, corrugated tubes, paper and fabrics which they can inflate and fill the stage. They also use toilet rolls, masking tape and clay putty to make and pull faces. There is no musical accompaniment. Everything is performed is silence.
I particularly liked the blob trying to mount a platform and a flexible tube (with a wide-gaping mouth) that plays ball with the audience. The octopus, with its constantly flailing tentacles, produced beautiful shapes which would fill any Art Deco artist with pride. There were also two gigantic Sumo wrestlers made out of garbage bags.
Mummenschanz is an intriguing, 80-minute, straight-through family entertainment for children of all ages. Kids go half-price.
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