Mummenschanz was founded over 40 years ago by its artistic directors Floriana Frassetto and Bernie Schürch. It's work is an incredible hybrid of dance, improvisation, mime and even influences of commedia dell'arte that has toured across the globe with its groundbreaking visual theatre. The company itself is probably one if the most unique, with a cast older than a large proportion of its audience. Not implying that it's shows appeal solely to our younger audience, quite the opposite in fact. The result of this theatrical chimera is truly universal.
This particular incarnation of Mummenschanz is 'The musicians of silence' and the only sound produced on stage is exactly that: silence (with the exception of occasional percussive sound of movement and props etc). It's structure is rather like that of a sketch show, with 30 small individual scenes that are completely unrelated to each other. There are four performers dressed entirely in black like performing cat burglars and the props and costumes range from a pair of oversized foam hands to flexible duct pipes from a tumble dryer and even rolls of toilet paper! The result is truly a smorgasbord.
