Mime and Physical Storytelling Flashcards
7 cards from real LAMDA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Mime and Physical Storytelling flashcards as text
In LAMDA mime, what effect does performing an action in 'negative space' have?
Answer: It defines an object's shape by how the body moves around and responds to it rather than touching it
Interacting with negative space — moving around an imaginary object without touching it — can powerfully define the object's size, shape, and presence.
Which of the following best describes 'status' in physical storytelling?
Answer: The relative power or confidence communicated through posture, gaze, and spatial claim
Status is physicalized through body language cues — a high-status character may stand tall, hold the gaze, and claim space, while low-status shrinks and averts.
A performer mimes drinking a cup of hot tea. What physical detail most convincingly sells the temperature of the liquid?
Answer: A slight recoil or pursing of lips upon first sip, suggesting unexpected heat
A subtle involuntary reaction to heat — a recoil, a pursed lip, blowing before drinking — gives the impression of genuine temperature sensation.
What is the primary challenge of sustaining an imaginary object across a full mime scene?
Answer: Maintaining consistent physical properties — weight, size, and texture — throughout without lapsing
Consistency is critical; if a suitcase changes weight or a glass changes size mid-scene, the audience's belief in the object is shattered.
How does LAMDA physical storytelling encourage performers to develop empathy through character work?
Answer: By requiring performers to physically embody characters with different physicalities, ages, or emotional states
Physically inhabiting another character's body — their posture, rhythm, and limitations — fosters deep empathetic understanding that purely intellectual study cannot.
In preparation for a LAMDA mime examination, why is it beneficial to practise in front of a mirror?
Answer: To observe whether physical choices are legible and whether the intended illusions read clearly
A mirror gives performers external perspective, revealing whether the audience will perceive what the performer intends or whether adjustments are needed.
Which principle from Jacques Lecoq's pedagogy is most directly reflected in LAMDA's physical storytelling approach?
Answer: The body as the primary instrument of expression and storytelling
Lecoq's central tenet — that the body itself is the actor's primary expressive tool — underpins LAMDA's emphasis on physical clarity and economy in storytelling.