MIME

Revision

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DEFINITION OF MIME

Mime is a stylised form of

movement which creates

an illusion of reality.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF MIME

•Mime is considered one of the earliest mediums of

self-expression. •Before there was spoken language,

mime was used to communicate what the primitive

people needed or wanted.

•It developed into a true theatrical form in ancient

Greece, where performers enacted everyday scenes

with the help of elaborate gestures.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF MIME

Mime continued to entertain in sixteenth century

Italy, in the form of Commedia dell‘ Arte.

Commedia dell' Arte originated in the market

places of the Italian streets, where performers

wore masks with exaggerated comical features to

draw attention to themselves and to complement

their acrobatic skills.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF MIME

•Mime received new impetus after the First World War

from the great Jacques Copeau.

•After the Second World War, Marcel Marceau emerged.

He created his own special character, known as 'Bip',

who is a familiar sight, with his top hat with the flower

sticking out, and his short jacket.

•Influenced by silent film stars like Chaplin and Keaton,

Marceau was the architect of a totally new and modern

style and tradition of mime.

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MIME IN SCHOOL

You learn about Mime in school to

help you to focus on

communicating in a different way

and to enable you to develop your

movement skills.

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MIME REVISION

Always remember S.P.E.C.SSlow

Precise

Exaggerated

Clear

Simple

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MIME REVISION

Remember you can’t use props or sound to

communicate to the audience so you must

rely only on your movement and facial

expressions.

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MIME REVISION

Click on the links below to watch some great

artists at work:

Clip One – Marcel Marceau – The Tango Dancer

Clip Two – Marcel Marceau – The Lion Tamer

Clip Three – Commedia dell' Arte

Clip Four – Charlie Chaplin Montage

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MIME REVISION QUESTIONS

Answer the following

questions on paper or in

WORD and email to your

teacher.

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MIME REVISION QUESTIONS

1. What are the advantages to using mime as your drama form?

2. What are the disadvantages of using mime as your drama

form?

3. Think of a piece of mime that you have devised and

performed. What elements of S.P.E.C.S do you feel you used

most effectively in this performance? Explain your answer.

4. Having watched some mime artists at work in the clips, what

stood out to you about their performances?

5. Outline your mime ideas for the stimulus of ‘The picnic.’ Be

specific about the facial expression and movements you will

use.

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WELL DONEYou have now completed revision on Mime. NOW evaluate your understanding:

If you require more help inform your teacher and refer to your

Revision Booklet.

Red- still struggling

Amber -understand some of this revisionGreen- fully understand

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