2015 London International Mime Festival to be Held in January

The London International Mime Festival (LIMF), the longest-established annual theatre season of its kind, returns in 2015 with innovative visual theatre from around the world - this year's artists come from America, Belgium, France, Japan and New Zealand, joining some of Britain's fast emerging talents and established names.

24 days, 18 companies, 64 performances of productions almost all London or UK premieres, at the Barbican, Central St Martin's Platform Theatre, Jacksons Lane, the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells, Soho Theatre and Southbank Centre.

Award-winning Barely Methodical Troupe - Britain's hottest young acrobats - open the 39th Festival at Central St Martin's Platform Theatre in King's Cross with their Edinburgh 'Total Theatre Award' winner, Bromance.

At the Soho Theatre, Trygve Wakenshaw stages the London premiere of KRAKEN, a blissfully funny hour of physical stream-of-consciousness, the delirious follow-up to smash hit SQUIDBOY.

The Pit, Barbican plays host to Theatre Ad Infinitum's London premiere of Light. Inspired by Edward Snowden's revelations, Light conjures an Orwellian future depicted via wordless anime-style storytelling and pulsating soundscape. Audacious New York puppeteer Basil Twist, part of the creative team for Kate Bush's 2014 Before the Dawn concerts, collaborates with master musician Yumiko Tanaka in a spectacular visual journey inspired by Dogugaeshi - the Japanese art of creating illusions through perspective. Belgian company Peeping Tom makes its UK debut at the Barbican Theatre with 32 rue Vandenbranden, an unforgettable piece of dance-theatre that combines cinematic set design and jaw-dropping physicality.

At Southbank Centre, Knights of the Invisible's Iona Kewney and Joseph Quimby return to London following their 2013 collaboration with artist Conrad Shawcross at the Roundhouse. Their new work features extraordinary movement, contorsion and live music. A grand piano takes centre stage in Edinburgh Fringe hit The Pianist, a co-production between Thomas Monckton and Finland's Circo Aereo; from France, Lonely Circus' physical dialogue between wire-walker Sebastien Le Guen and electro-acoustic musician Jér?me Hoffman makes its UK debut, and Oktobre presents world-class magic, mystery and aerial daring. Back by popular demand, gentleman juggler Mat Ricardo returns to the festival with some new tricks up his sleeve in Showman, possibly the most entertaining lecture-demonstration ever. Also at Southbank Centre, Belgium's much-loved Circus Ronaldo presents the London premiere of Amortale, a Felliniesque world of hand-crafted commedia-circus, mixing tragedy and clowning, opera, marionettes and a touch of arson!

The Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House sees the World Premiere of 4X4, a ground-breaking piece supported by Studio Programme, The Royal Ballet, featuring internationally acclaimed Gandini Juggling alongside a group of ballet dancers. Directed by Sean Gandini and choreographed by The Royal Ballet's Ludovic Ondiviela. Also at the Linbury Amit Lahav's Gecko returns with the London premiere of Institute, exploring a world where forgotten stories and recycyled memories pour out of filing cabinets and endless corridors.

At Jacksons Lane, Chris Lynam, one of Britain's most original clown comedians, explores the private world of an old trouper in ErictheFred, whilst UK based Theatre Re perform Blind Man's Song, depicting one man's rage against a world of darkness, inspired by the works of Magritte, Samuel Beckett and the company's work with blind and visually impaired people. British newcomers, Joli Vyann blur the boundaries between dance and circus in their latest production, Stateless, exploring the topical subject of refugees and immigration. To conclude the Jacksons Lane season, NoFit State Circus, dubbed 'the circus everyone wants to join', present the London premiere of Noodles, a story of five quirky travellers who conjure a world of knots, wires, chaos and spaghetti.

At Sadler's Wells, Compagnie 111/Aurélien Bory presents Plexus, conceived by Olivier Award nominee Aurélien Bory for the extraordinary Japanese dancer, Kaori Ito. Entrapped by five thousand cords, a forest of brilliantly lit strings, a warrior-woman conquers her environment, floating like a black angel in a sumptuous cage that she can only leave by vanishing completely. Kaori Ito has worked with Philippe Découfflé, Angelin Preljocaj, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, James Thierrée, and Alain Platel's ballets C de la B among other top European dance-theatre names.

As always, the line-up will be complemented by workshops, films and artists' talks.

Full programme details, including workshops and after-show discussion dates are available online from 13 October at www.mimelondon.com.

Tickets will go on sale to the public at venues throughout Sept, Oct and Nov from the following dates: (further details can be found at www.mimelondon.com)

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