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Pantomime is the art of crafting a storyline and conveying physicality and emotion by performing without vocal sound (backing music may be used), props, or scenery. It is one of the oldest forms of theatre, deriving from Roman mime and using elements of Italian Commedia dell’arte. Pantomime tests physical engagement and ongoing commitment to a scene. A pantomime scene tells a clear story that is engaging and believable for the audience. A scene may consist of just one performer, a duo, or a troupe of artists.

This performance guide will consider how to develop, construct, and refine a pantomime scene in order to prepare a polished performance. It will consider how to explore characterization through physicality, gestures, facial expression, intention, and motivation.

Terminology

• Exaggerated Resistance: Exaggerated resistance is when an actor makes an action more definite and sharper in order to create the illusion of physics, such as the tension when pulling on a rope or the struggle to lift a heavier object. (Exaggerated expressions and gestures are also used to help add to the illusion of resistance.)
• Fast-motion Pantomime: A pantomime in which actors perform at double or triple time.
• Gesture: A gesture is a movement of any part of the body that helps to express an idea.
• Improvisation: The act of inventing or executing action or dialogue in the moment without preparation.
• Pantomime: The non-verbal expression of ideas through the body, using no words.
• Playbuilding: The creation of an original performative work with a group, beginning with games, dramatic activities, improvisation, and discussion.
• Sensory Awareness: Recalling memories in order to recreate any object, sensation, or experience in the imagination.
• Slow-motion Pantomime: A dramatic activity in which the actors perform a pantomime very slowly and deliberately, with complete control.
• Tableau: A tableau is a living picture featuring one or more characters that remain in a static position.
• Weight: The relative weight of an imaginary object and the impact it has upon an actor’s physicality.