Piped Piper gone Mime: director Vinith Bhandari is endeavouring to transform the classic folklore by simply using “face paints and body movements”. “Mimes, in [Vinith’s] experience are rarely plot driven,” and he is excited to “not only get some gags from the audience, but tell a story.” Vinith believes: “Retelling folklore is an interesting way to engage the audience and emphasise a cause (such as mental health).” Once a troubled child, the Piper is now notorious for their catchy tunes, and returns to Hamelin after catching wind about some issues.

“It is quite a fascinating style: it relies only on the music and physical movements to tell a story”

At Hamelin the Piper is promised a reward by the mayor if they coax the rats away from the town, however, after the mayor decides not to reward the Piper, revenge is sworn. Vinith explains: “It will give an emotional backstory to the character, as well as entertain the audience using the humour inherent to Mime and silent comedy.” He also hopes “the audience relate to Piper’s story, and although the Piper embarks on a dark path,” he thinks, “enough justification is given to explain their stories.” Using Mime is a means to challenge what “the audience would come in expecting” claims Vinith, continuing that he intends for Mime—The Pied Piper to become a “new kind of performance in Cambridge Theatre.”

As an undergraduate, Vinith “mostly performed mimes.” He explains how “the Mime culture was picked up quickly, and [he] actually had an audience demand a Mime as part of every theatre festival [he] did.” Vinith believes his Cambridge audience will see the value in Mime, continuing: “It is quite a fascinating style: it relies only on the music and physical movements to tell a story.” As a performance, Vinith asserts: “Mime is quite the aesthetic.” He says that he has “always been fascinated by unconventional theatre styles, and Mime is one of the coolest ones out there.” Mime on the Cambridge scene has been a long time coming: Vinith has “been trying to pitch Mime for a while, but didn’t get the right opportunity to state [his] case.”

“Once you already know the story, the expected outcome is still engrossing because of the way the story is being told”

With the aspiration of “keeping the audience focused on the movements of characters,” Vinith wanted to keep the “set design and costumes quite minimalist.” He also added that he is “very happy with how the devising has worked out, despite it starting off slightly chaotically,” and praises the originality of “the music for the entire show.” He says that, together with the “light effects and the cast’s amazing fluidic movements,” it’s extremely “harmonious and pleasing.” He hopes the beauty of this production will make the Mime an “established form of theatre in Cambridge.”

With the Pied Piper story, Vinith is “using the strong movements and physicality in Mime to tell a story and impact the audience.” He believes that Mime is an interesting case because “once you already know the story, the expected outcome is still engrossing because of the way the story is being told.” As well as the makeup and physicality used, he believes, the “apt music and lights blend well together to bring an enriching theatrical experience.” If the audience engage appropriately with the performance, it will also emphasise “the multitudinous spectrum of mental health issues, and how childhood trauma can impact challenges we face in adulthood”; if this message is received, Vinith will “consider the show a success.”

“No matter who is behind the face paint, if they emote well, they are the protagonist and the audience will want to know their story”

More than “pleasing the audience,” Vinith also seeks to “give performers a way of showcasing non-verbal talent: our faces speak more clearly than our words.” He believes: “Facial cues and body language are universal, and can help people understand more about one another emotionally without actual dialogue.” Vinith also emphasises: “No matter who is behind the face paint, if they emote well, they are the protagonist and the audience will want to know their story.” Commenting: “Silent comedy rids a lot of offensive elements usually used in dark humour shows,” Vinith, without any intention to “create unnecessary controversy,” claims that with Mime one can “scale up the humour elements as you go, and let the audience decipher some of the inside jokes.” He believes “the balance of hidden messages and simplicity of physicality is what a dark tale needs.”

Vinith is “hoping to raise awareness for mental health in a creative way.” He “didn’t want the theme of mental disorders overlaying the entire show, so [he’s] kept it slightly subtle, yet to the point.” The show, he emphasises, is “intended as a Late Night Show where you come to have fun and enjoy yourself,” but also claims that “Mime is essentially a direct implication of how when you’re suffering internally, most people don’t speak up about it until the problem can’t be ignored anymore.” Ironically, Vinith hopes “the Mime encourages people to speak up.”

The Pied Piper is showing at the ADC Theatre at 11pm from Wednesday 11th - Friday 13th of May.