Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Sat 09 Sep 2007Mime master of theatrical illusion inspired by silent greatsMarcel Marceau:Occasionally in the arts, there emerge individuals of whom one can say with absolute certainty, he or she was the greatest a century has produced.In the field of mime, Marcel Marceau, who has died aged 84, was such an artist. The measure of his achievement is seen in the fact that while mime became immensely popular when he performed it, in the hands of others it remained only a minority interest, albeit a growing one.