Going solo: Miming at LAMDA

It's at least 70 years since miming exams first made their appearance in the LAMDA syllabus, and in that time their content has changed and developed over the decades to reflect changes in society, literature and social activities. But are miming exams still relevant today? How have they moved on since Charlie Chaplin communicated a clutch of emotions simply by raising an eyebrow? And what's the importance to today's learners of being able to communicate non-verbally? Linda Macrow, LAMDA's chief examiner, says the organisation is aware of how important confident communications skills are for everyone, ‘particularly for learners who are building up life experiences through academic and social activities.’

The syllabus runs from Grades 1–8, with exams taken alone (solo) or with a fellow learner (duologue). Through single mimed activities and fully developed scenes, students work on coordination and control, physical awareness and precise movements of their body to articulate emotion and characterisation in their storytelling. They also work on assembling their own scenes using physical theatre skills. At higher grades there's also the chance to discover the work of famous mime artists like Charlie Chaplin and Marcel Marceau, and to find out about one of theatre's most influential forms, commedia dell’arte.

Adam Armstrong is a Drama teacher and a LAMDA examiner. He's found that those students who do study mime (and there are around 400 on the mime pathway option available within the LAMDA performance suite of qualifications) frequently have a better physical stance than those who don't. ‘I think it's a shame more learners don't take these exams,’ he says. ‘But those who do have an almost balletic approach to movement, a poise and an elegance. An actor should be capable of portraying emotion and situation without relying on dialogue and these exams allow them to do just that.’

LAMDA believes teachers are very supportive of the benefits of studying mime, particularly at the lower grades, and they are keen to ensure the subject isn't undervalued. ‘Sometimes teachers are nervous of teaching mime because of the more specific skills that are relevant for Level 3 (Grade 6, 7, and 8) examinations,’ says Macrow. ‘It's important to recognise that the lower grades focus very much on actions that are typical and relevant to everyday movement. Dance schools, for example, often find the mime syllabus compliments classes in all areas and styles of dance.’

Creating confident communicators

Strong communication skills are immensely helpful when applying for a job and all forms of acting can be useful in improving confidence. Mime exams offer a valuable opportunity for learners who are not yet confident in their speaking skills but still want to engage in an examination programme. ‘Learners for whom English is a second language can also enjoy engaging in mime studies as an introduction to speech and drama and communications training,’ says Macrow.

The lower grades focus on everyday actions, together with creating stories through mime which require confident and imaginative physical reactions to suggested topics. Higher grades engage learners in exploring the more sophisticated skills that represent mime as an integral and historic art form. There is plenty of material available on the LAMDA website for teachers. Particularly at the higher grades, some teachers may be unsure about using new materials but full details of the requirements, assessment criteria and regulations for each grade can be found in the LAMDA performance graded examinations syllabus. There's also a wealth of teacher support materials in the website's download centre.

The power of performance

‘The mime syllabus is for anybody who is interested in performance,’ says Armstrong. ‘If you are performing, you need physical awareness. With many exams, you are aware of the acting and the drama writing, but it's rare that one works specifically with the physicality of acting. Mime allows you to hold a magnifying glass to that aspect of performance and look at how you communicate within the context of performance.

‘With my own pupils, I can always see in their work the ones who have studied mime,’ he continues. ‘We might be working on something in a higher grade, and I'll say, “remember when we did this or that in your mime exam a few years ago?”, and what they learnt then will feed into the more advanced work they're doing now.’

Macrow reiterates that speaking confidently is an important skill, but there's a lot more that goes into a compelling performance. ‘The power of body language, gesture, facial expression, posture and movement can be overlooked. The communication of a message, request or speech is always greatly enhanced by the way a speaker is physically presenting themselves. This is where mime activities and studies can be greatly beneficial.’

lamda.ac.uk/lamda-exams/our-exams/performance/miming