5 shows to see at London International Mime Festival 2019

London Internantional Mime Fest (LIMF) is back! The month-long mime extravaganza will be taking place at a variety of venues across London, and we've picked five pieces that have piqued our interest. There are obviously a huge raft of other great shows included in the festival (such as Gecko's The Wedding which has its London premiere after running throughout 2017), so you're very much advised to head to visit the MimeFest website to see what else is on offer.

The Artist

New Zealand performer Thomas Monckton was a smash hit at the LIMF in 2015 with anarchic musical exploration The Pianist (which has since played 300 times across the globe) as well as mind-bending anatomical study Only Bones at LIMF in 2017. He now brings his new show The Artist, about an artist desperate for inspiration, to London for the first time at the Southbank Centre. Southbank Centre, 24 to 27 January

Birth

Theatre Re, which turns ten years-old in 2019, has had some solid hits over the years – including the quietly mesmeric The Nature of Forgetting. At Mime Festival they will unveil their brand new show, Birth, about all manner of things from Frida Kahlo to psychogenealogy. Which, according to Google, means recognising connections between people and their ancestors. Expect expert storytelling with some well-drilled physical craft Shoreditch Town Hall, 10 to 13 January

Anywhere

The Greek myth of Oedipus comes to life with a very intriguing twist courtesy of Le Théâtre de l'Entrouvert – because the puppet being used as Oedipus in the show is made of ice! Punters can watch as the character in front of them quite literally melts over the space of an hour. Mesmeric, novel and sure to send a chill down your spine. Barbican Pit, 22 to 26 January

Intronauts

Though it may sound like a sci-fi show for those less willing to express their feelings, Intronauts is even more absurd than that. Based on the idea that in the not-too-distant future miniaturised human workers can be injected into bodies in order to carry out essential maintenance, veteran theatre company Green Ginger's new show sounds like the sort of off-the-wall visual drama Mime Fest really excels at providing. Jacksons Lane, 11 to 13 January

Father (Vader)

Olivier Award-winning company Peeping Tom caused a storm with their piece Mother in 2018 – so now the group aim to repeat the trick with another show, keeping up the familial vibe and entitled Father. Running at the Barbican Theatre for its UK premiere, the piece is set in a care home and explores the nature of ageing using visual imagery and choreography to draw characters in and out of lucidity. Barbican Theatre, 30 January until 2 February