| Founded in 1984 by Steven
Wasson and Corinne Soum, the last assistants
of “the father of Modern Mime” Etienne
Decroux, the Theatre de l’Ange
Fou tours extensively throughout the world.
In the UK, L’Ange Fou has built a multi-national,
multi-lingual mime theatre ensemble with which it
has created over 20 original plays, adaptations
and devised pieces – ranging from solos and
duets to works with the full ensemble of 17 mime
actors.
At its rehearsal studio at the Belgravia Workshops
in north London, the company undertakes a new
project each year exploring the infinite theatrical
possibilities of dramatic corporeal mime.
The Theatre de l’Ange Fou, has toured throughout
Europe, Russia, the United States, Canada, Brazil,
Mexico and the Middle East. The Theatre de l’Ange
Fou has created over 20 original plays, devised
pieces, as well as adaptations, ranging from duets
to large ensemble works: The Little Dictator-
parts I & II, Beyond the Garden, Crusade,
Entangled Lives, The Government Inspector
and their latest, The Orpheus Complex...
revealing different aspects of the spiritual and
human quest, portraying the frailty and complexity
of relationships between individuals longing for
love. Impressions of the mind, the absurdity of
life and the resulting questions are a constant
source of inspiration for both the directors and
the actors. Using Corporeal Mime as the base of
their creative work, the dramaturgical construction
of their plays takes the form of a voyage where
the characters traverse varied landscapes and
lifetimes, some real, some imaginary. The world
of the Theatre de l’Ange Fou, this visionary
world of contrasting light and darkness, of metamorphosis,
is populated by a family of invented archetypes
in unkown yet familiar settings. Throughout their
various productions, the Theatre de l’Ange
Fou explores the infinite possibilities of the
interaction between the corporeal score and the
spoken text, music and film. Alongside this personal
artistic development, Steven Wasson and Corinne
Soum, in 1992, took up the challenge of re-introducing
to the public the Repertoire of Etienne Decroux
with their reconstruction, and performances by
the Theatre de l’Ange Fou, of most of his
major pieces (including La Meditation,
Les Arbres, L’Usine...) in The
Man Who Preferred to Stand, and more
recently, Passage of Man on Earth
and Resonance.
The Theatre de l’Ange Fou also run the
International School of Corporeal Mime which offers
a range of full time professional training programmes
specially designed for people wishing to prepare
for a career as a working artist, performer and
creator, and wishing to commit to a rigorous and
inventive training. The school is devoted to the
development of the technique, Repertoire and
dramaturgy of corporeal mime and contemporary
theatre practice. Through its touring, the reputation
of the company and its directors continues to
attract invitations to teach and perform all over
the world.
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