Monday Magazine
Victoria, BC, September 3, 1998
Mime Out Loud
By Rob Wipond

Do mimes get any better than this? There’s something for every sensibility in Trent Arterberry’s show, from a melodramatic cowboy shoot-em-up to an ethereal rendition of the tragic flight of Icarus.

Whether he’s swimming underwater or trying to drive while high, Arterberry deconstructs our physical world and reveals the absurdity and magic within it. Even when he occasionally employs mime “standards”, like jerking robotic movements, his uncommon technical proficiency makes every twitch intriguing and humorous.

Along with terrific physical skills, Arterberry makes amusing use of musical accompaniment to drive the narrative, engagingly blends storytelling with traditional mime, and relaxes the audience between scenes with lighthearted and provocative banter. Quite simply, he’s a highly trained and experienced performer who Victorians are fortunate to get a chance to see for such a bargain price.