Mummenschanz - Musicians of Silence

The world famous Swiss mime troupe who perform entirely in surreal masks, minimal props and no spoken words.

I was fortunate to have seen Mummenschanz twice, so far. Once in New York City then again in Las Vegas. Mummenschanz is a German word that loosely translates to 'mime artist'. Their show is always a mesmerizing combination of new material and the good old classics. You cannot take your eyes away from the performers for a moment as their performance is entirely visual and the choreography delicately subtle, making use of light, shadow and their trademark bizarre masks. The stage is black, and so are their costumes until they introduce brightly colored props. They are also sometimes referred to as 'the barefoot performers'.

intro photo: Amazon product available below

A Brief History

The legend began in Switzerland 1972 when three comedic actors, Andres Bossard, Floriana Frassetto, Bernie Schurch, formed a masked pantomime troupe and called it Mummenchanz. Their departure from the classical white-face pantomime to dressing in all black was the first of their many innovations.

For the past 40+ years the barefoot performers known as Mummenschanz have been captivating audiences with their magical performance art which has evolved from merely a comedy act to performance art turned into full-length plays.

Despite the untimely passing of founding member Andres Bossard in 1992 at the age of 47, the troupe continued their artistic endeavors touring the world performing in the memory of their friend.

If you can't get to a show, here are some videos of their performances to whet your appetite.

Books and DVD's for your reading a viewing pleasure

The Story of Mummenschanz

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Mummenschanz - English - Book View on Amazon	Mummenschanz - French - Book View on Amazon	Mummenschanz 1972 - 1997 - Book View on Amazon

Salvador Dali - The Master of Surrealism

I wonder what he would say about Mummenschanz...

Salvador Dali Beating Heart

Salvador Dali's ruby and gold Royal Heart brooch. It beats just like a human heart.

My Experience at Mummenschanz

My two experiences seeing Mummenschanz left me wanting an encore and looking forward to the next time. As an audience member I would ask myself 'what is that?' or 'what are they doing now?' Using my imagination I answered those questions. After each show my companion and I discussed the performance and we both had different interpretations of what we just witnessed. That is part of their uniqueness, you must use your own imagination.