40 years of pantomime: Festival conjures magic into the Theaterhaus Rudi!

40 years of pantomime: Festival conjures magic into the Theaterhaus Rudi!

In Dresden the signs are all about movement and creativity: the 40th International PantomimeTheaterFestival will take place in the Theaterhaus Rudi from November 12th to 16th. The festival, which was founded in 1982 by Ralf Herzog and Rainer Petrovski, is a real highlight in the city's event calendar. Around 20 artists from six different countries will delight audiences with a varied program of five evening performances, a special children's program and two workshops. A ten-hour workshop with the Israeli group DAVAI on November 8th and 9th in the Project Theater will be particularly exciting and is already enjoying great popularity.

The organizational responsibility for this long-standing festival lies with Mimenstudio Dresden e.V., a volunteer-run association that proudly looks back on over 45 years of pantomime tradition in the Pieschen district. Michael Meinel, who has led the club for five years and is himself a student of Ralf Herzog, works closely with Tim Schreiber. Schreiber, another of Herzog's students, offers a pantomime course for amateurs every Tuesday evening in the Neustädter Projekttheater and ensures that the tradition stays alive.

Insight into the festival program

The opening gala on November 12th will provide a comprehensive overview of the festival program. Top-class performances are also planned for the following days: The group DAVAI opens with “Under Construction” on Thursday, followed by Tantehorse with “Light in the Darkness” on Friday and Mangano-Massip with “Rémanence” on Saturday. A special highlight is the children's theater play “Paperboy” by Radim Vizváry on Sunday morning, before the festival ends with a performance by Carlos Aller and Cecilia Bartolino.

Another interesting element of the festival will be an exhibition on the history of pantomime in Europe in the foyer of the theater house. This exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about the roots and development of pantomime, which dates back to ancient times. Originally known as “pantomimus” in ancient Rome, pantomime developed from Greek tragedy and was known for its solo dancer, who performed all the roles through masks and gestures, as Wikipedia explains.

Tickets and support

The ticket prices are fair, so there is something for everyone: in advance they cost 20 euros (reduced 15 euros), at the box office 22 euros (17 euros reduced). There are also special rates for special events such as children's programs and workshops. Practical: A festival ticket for all events is available for 60 euros. To support the event, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on 99funken and runs until November 2nd. The Ostsächsische Sparkasse has agreed to match up to 5,000 euros in donations.

With a diverse offering that appeals to both young and old guests, the 40th International Pantomime Theater Festival in Dresden promises a welcome change in the gray November. For further information and to purchase the tickets, interested visitors can visit the Mimenstudio Dresden website at www.mimedresden.de and the Rudi Theater House www.theaterhaus-rudi.de visit. Take advantage of the opportunity and experience the world of pantomime up close!