Top shows to see at London International Mime Festival 2016

Taking place over 29 days with 8 venues, 17 UK or London premieres and multiple nationalities, expect epic physical and visual theatre, films, workshops and discussions from this year's LIMF which are guaranteed to brighten your January. We take a look at some of the highlights from the unique festival which showcases the best contemporary visual theatre and challenges your perception of 'mime' (do not think stripey T-shirt and face paint – think confronting and thoughtful dance, imagery and stories).

8. The Wrong Crowd – Kite: An Adventure as Wild as the Wind – (Soho Theatre)

A concise hour-long show from UK group The Wrong Crowd plays with the movement of an indoor kite and follows the story of a young girl and her grandma who are both dealing with loss. The silent show features a soundtrack composed by Isabel Waller-Bridge (Lampedusa) and choreography by Frantic Assembly's Eddie Kay.

Kite runs at Soho Theatre from 26 January to 6 February before embarking on a short UK tour.

7. Al Seed – Oog (Jacksons Lane)

Scottish physical theatre pioneer Al Seed brings his award-winning Edinburgh Festival show to London. Oog is a physical exploration of the trauma of conflict and violence through the mind of a shell-shocked soldier. Expect something a bit different that will confront and explore the psychological damage of war.

Oog runs at Jacksons Lane from 15 to 17 January.

6. Ockham's Razor – Tipping Point (Platform Theatre)

UK company Ockham's Razor return with their full length production Tipping Point, featuring five-metre poles which transform into a myriad of walkways, pillars and pendulums. With music from Adem Ilham & Quinta who have previously worked with Radiohead and Hot Chip and costume from award-winning costume designer Tina Bicat, audiences will be drawn into the action as the group balance, climb and cling above them.

Ockham's Razor (UK) – Tipping Point runs at the Platform Theatre from 11 to 23 January.

5. Compagnie Yoann Bourgeois – He Who Falls (Barbican Theatre)

Six performers defy the laws of gravity by maintaining their balance onboard a constantly shifting platform. The French company explore the ideas of weightlessness and the physics of suspension, watch as the performers lean, climb, hang and fall to a soundtrack of pop and opera classics.

He Who Falls (Celui qui tombe) runs at the Barbican Theatre from 3 to 6 January.

4. Jos Houben and Marcello Magni – Marcel (Shaw Theatre)

The UK premiere of Marcel is bought to London by original Complicite members Jos Houben and Marcello Magni and Parisian company Theatre Bouffes du Nord. Using physical comedy, the two performers take a humorous look at the perils of ageing.

Marcel runs at the Shaw Theatre, Pullman London St Pancras from 9 to 12 January.

3. Jakop Ahlbom Company – Horror (Peacock Theatre)

Jakop Ahlbom's (Netherlands) horror movie homage is billed as "ingenuously gruesome, genuinely scary and frequently funny". Following a sold-out show at Mime Fest last year, expect horror references such as The Shining and Rosemary's Baby littered throughout . Are you brave enough?

Jakop Ahlbom Company – Horror runs at The Peacock from 25 to 26 January.

2. Xavier Bobés – Things Easily Forgotten (Cosas que se olvidan fácilmente) (Southbank Centre)

Stay cosy this winter with Catalan artist Xavier Bobés. Bobés invites just five people at a time to sit round an intimate table with him and explore a miscellany of sights, sounds, objects and photos to unfold a beautiful story exploring memory and identity.

Things Easily Forgotten runs at the Southbank Centre from 21 to 24 January.

1. David Espinsosa – Mi Gran Obra (My Great Work) (Tate Modern)

Take some time out this January to slow down and watch this 'miniature' show from David Espinosa. The Catalan actor, director and puppeteer has created a show as if he had an unlimited budget, 300 actors, a military band, a rock group, animals, cars and helicopters. Using model pieces, Espinsosa will take audiences on an imaginative and playful adventure.

Mi Gran Obra runs at the Tate Modern from 14 to 17 January.