Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November will see pioneering Swiss visual theatre troupe Mummenschanz bring their defining 50th-anniversary retrospective to Paribu Art. Operating entirely without spoken dialogue or musical soundtrack, the legendary company delivers an inventive fusion of mask theatre, body sculpture, and physical comedy that reimagines performance art through pure visual storytelling. The upcoming two-day engagement presents their acclaimed anniversary production, bringing half a century of whimsical, sculptural stagecraft to life. Tickets are available via Paribu Pass.
Formed in Paris in 1972 by Bernie Schürch, Andres Bossard, and Floriana Frassetto, Mummenschanz revolutionized mime and physical theatre by stripping away traditional white-face makeup in favor of abstract, everyday objects. Trained under physical theatre icons like Jacques Lecoq and Roy Bosier, the trio forged a non-verbal stage language built around surreal props, dark backdrops, and geometric forms. The troupe achieved mainstream international acclaim during an unprecedented three-year run on Broadway at the Bijou Theatre between 1977 and 1980. Their unique visual universe subsequently influenced decades of experimental performance art, leading to high-profile pop-culture appearances on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street.
Following the loss of Bossard in 1992 and Schürch’s retirement in 2012, founding member Floriana Frassetto has continued as artistic director, guiding the troupe into its fifth decade of global performance. The current touring retrospective features a five-person cast recreating the company’s most famous original sketches alongside contemporary pieces. Audience favorites including the Clay Masks, Toilet Paper Faces, the Tube Creature, and dynamic inflatable giants make their return, showcasing how simple material manipulation can evoke profound human emotion and humor.
To stay up to date make sure to follow Paribu Art on instagram. Tickets are available via paribu pass.
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