Variety with mime

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 6

Variety with mime

Mi

Howard McNaughton

Bennett Mime. ' Court Studio Theatre, September 1 to 5 at 11a.m. • daily. ■

"Robert Bennett’s period of .studying, mime in Paris in ?■ i 1978 \ has, he. acknowledges, hpnsiderably expanded his J awareness of the genre’s resources. For his daytime school holiday programmes ithis week he will presumably on humorous, ijmbje traditional pieces, blit his. single evening - perform.anpe yesterday offered an initerating balance' of the light work for which he is best cknown here, and. more ■.serious pieces verging on the surrealistic. , « •; ", ./For the first half,, he;presented the .white-faced classic mime, clearly descended from : Marcel Marceau, speaking introduce each-piece. After'the; interval; he moved gradually into the more-, experimental, using speech, props, and semi-realistic cos-

tume to explore a theatrical territory where mime seemed at times struggling to evolve into a more amply expressive drama. ; “The Great 0.E.” is a simple, but vivid, piece which illustrates. the new stylistic fusion' well. The mime context is established by a sequence which needs no words: the absurd .frustrations of the passport photo booth. When .he js confronted with the passport officer, speech is logical and appears natural, preparing the ground for the comedy of-.the New Zealander trying to make himself understood in Paris; finally, <on the metro, the' environment determines that expression is through performance rather than voice. Mime, one feels, has not been ’subverted: it has briefly been supplemented.;:; . “Tribute to ‘Polivka’,” the final piece last eyeitiffig, also seemed the most aiiroitious. Without dialogue, but with a*

number of props (including a hen), Bennett and his wife Jane did a narrative sequence about an attempt to develop relationships' in the face 7 of war. The tone was indeed grim, and the final statement of speechlessness gave the evening a powerful culmination. ’ . : • ’c The comic pieces in : the first half gave an entertaining sampling of work that- will Appeal greatly to both; adults and youngsters. Most of. these /were old favourites like the flea circus (retrieving a wanderer from. the auditorium), h the dog-washihg act (the great Dane which dissolves into a ’miniature); find 'the cherryeating duel,, a piece that would develop great momentum with, a .young audience. From the description of the current repertoire, thereare plenty of other similar sketches j: offering, / and; - the daytime programme will come as a pleasant refef to what must be to mgny a most problematic week.