Searching For Marceau, is a one man-show featuring Trevor Copp, produced by Tottering Biped Theatre and currently playing at the Tarragon Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s behind those walls mimes seem to always be putting up, well now’s your chance. Searching for Marceau goes behind the stripes (so to speak), and reveals the inner workings of Trevor Copp, a mime who has studied under the famous Marcel Marceau and has performed internationally.
Trevor tells, wait no….mimes his story with incredible imagination and precise physicality. As a performer, Trevor’s sincerity is heartbreaking, and his presence is focused and still as can be. The way that he uses mime in this show is so unexpected and adds a whole new dimension as well as an element of fun. Mime is often overlooked, but this show proved to me that mime is a beautiful art form that can really immerse you and transport you to different worlds.
Towards the end of the show, Trevor performs a mimed sequence where he releases a “butterfly” into the air, then wrangles dozens of “balloons” of many sizes as well as a “rocket ship” to reach it. It was incredible to see this all happen and even though Trevor made miming look effortless, it had me thinking…”wow, miming does not look easy.” Just the amount of intention and focus Trevor maintained the whole time made it seem like he was an athlete or a dancer up on the stage.
Searching for Marceau is an imaginative telling of one mime’s story from a Hamilton street busker to a Parisian performer. By the end of the show, I found myself relaxed in my seat with a big smile on my face. And it warmed my spirit knowing that we can all make butterflies with our hands at anytime, if we want to.
Details
- Searching for Marceau plays at Tarragon Theatre Extra Space (30 Bridgman Ave.) Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
- Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
- This venue is barrier-free. Note that only certain building entrances are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible seating is in front of the front row.
- Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
Performances
- Thursday July 4th, 6:30 pm
- Saturday July 6th, 8:45 pm
- Monday July 8th, 9:30 pm
- Wednesday July 10th, 10:00 pm
- Thursday July 11th, 8:30 pm
- Friday July 12th, 4:30 pm
- Sunday July 14th, 12:45 pm
Photo of Trevor Copp.