Elated? Tired? Confused? Birthdays evoke a multitude of feelings and as Mime Action Group celebrates its tenth year our Anniversary issue includes a broad look at the profession from a number of practitioners. From the evolution of the ‘material’ 80s to the ‘sharing, caring’ 90s, so mime has evolved with the changing face of society.

As an international means of theatrical expression, influences from abroad have always been apparent, both from training received in other countries and inspiration gained from those who have chosen to train and work here.

In so far as whether mime is relevant to modern society, then it has a number of points in its favour. For a start, the language of mime continues to remain international (and has a somewhat higher success rate than ‘esperanto’) and visual performances mean that what is recalled is a series of ‘images’. When we recall memory it is usually in picture form – often remembered more than the spoken word.

Furthermore, if mime is meant to encompass a ‘spirtual’ dimension, then surely this befits a time when change and new-age philosophies are much in evidence. Here's to a Brave New World and mime to enhance it.