Mime

Mime is the art of telling a story with your body alone, using movement, gesture and facial expression instead of words. A good mime makes you see things that aren't there, from a heavy suitcase to a gust of wind. It's a branch of physical theatre, and it can be funny, moving or completely absurd.

The classic look is a white face, black eyeliner, white gloves and a striped top. Beret optional, silence compulsory.

The invisible wall is the famous one: flat palms pressing against thin air, sliding along to find the edge. Build four of them and you're trapped in the box.

Pulling the rope makes an imaginary rope feel heavy and real, hand over hand, with your whole body leaning into it.

Walking against the wind has you pushing forward with every step while going nowhere at all.

Others include leaning on something that isn't there, climbing an invisible ladder and the tug of war with a partner, which is where things usually get competitive.

The secret is the fixed point. When your hand stops dead in space, the audience believes it has hit something solid. Mimes also use isolations, moving one part of the body while the rest stays still, and clear, exaggerated reactions so every feeling reads from the back row. Weight matters too. If you lift an imaginary box like it weighs nothing, nobody believes it's there.

Your Activity Leader starts with warm-up games to get you moving and loosen up your face, because it's about to do a lot of work. Then you'll pick up the building blocks one at a time: the wall, the rope, the fixed point, the walk. Before long you'll be putting them together into short scenes in pairs or small groups. Expect plenty of laughing, mostly at yourself, and hopefully an escape from that box.

Yes. You don't need any acting or dance experience, just a willingness to look a bit silly. Mime is surprisingly good fun for people who find talking on stage terrifying, because you never have to say a word. Wear comfy clothes you can move in and flat shoes.

You might also like Clowning, Theatrical Combat and Sign Language.

See all Camp Wildfire activities