A single performer acts out a story or theme using only movement and expression, without speech.
Mime Solo is a class in which one performer tells a story, shows a character or builds a situation using only the body and face. There are no spoken words, no sung lines and, in most syllabuses, no reliance on scenery: the audience should be able to follow what happens from posture, gesture, movement and expression alone.
A round is short and simple to run. The performer is called, takes the stage and performs within the age-band time limit while the adjudicator watches and marks. On the Sri Lankan speech and drama festival template the class is open to boys and girls together, in English-language programmes, with three bands: 7-9 years at 2 minutes, 10-14 years at 3 minutes and 15 and over at 4 minutes, marked out of 10. Other templates that carry it set their own bands and limits, from 2 minutes for school-year groups to 4 minutes across six age bands, so always read the event's own syllabus.
A strong entry has one clear idea: a person who wants something, meets an obstacle and ends differently from how they began. Because nothing is said, the performer has to make objects, places and other people visible through precise movement, for example opening an unseen door, lifting something heavy or reacting to a character who is not there. Clean, deliberate actions read far better than fast, busy ones.
Organisers run the class because it rewards imagination, physical control and clarity, and because it suits entrants who are not yet confident speakers. It sits beside the spoken drama solos in a speech and drama programme, and is distinct from Mime without the word Solo, which is a separate listing on its own page.
Where Mime Solo is run
Mime Solo appears on five eTalenter templates: a Sri Lankan speech and drama festival, an Australian eisteddfod and a district speech and drama eisteddfod, a Channel Islands eisteddfod, and a Canadian speech arts festival. That is where this page is grounded; solo mime is also a familiar class in school and community drama events elsewhere, but only the template definitions are described here.
- Sri Lanka
- Australia
- Jersey, Channel Islands
- Canada
Key facts
- Individual entry, open to boys and girls together
- Silent performance: story and character shown through movement and expression only
- Sri Lankan template: 7-9 years at 2 minutes, 10-14 years at 3 minutes, 15 and over at 4 minutes, marked out of 10
- Other templates vary: 2 to 4 minutes depending on the event, marked out of 10 or out of 100
- Often grouped with other action classes such as solo drama in a speech and drama programme
- Not the same listing as the plain Mime item, which has its own page
On eTalenter, Mime Solo is filed under Action, Drama and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 5 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Mime Solo is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to 2–4 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Mime Solo
What a Mime Solo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Clarity of the story: the audience can say what happened without being told
- Precision of action: unseen objects have a fixed size, weight and position, and the performer stays consistent with them
- Facial expression and eye line that show feeling and direct the audience to what matters
- Control and economy of movement: deliberate, clean gestures rather than fast, busy ones
- Characterisation: the performer's posture and manner make each person in the piece distinct
- Use of the stage and a definite ending, finishing inside the time limit
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Mime Solo under Scoring Setup, or start from the full mime & tableau judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Mime Solo
How entrants and their teachers usually get Mime Solo right on the day:
- Choose one situation with a clear want and a clear change, such as trying to catch something that keeps escaping
- Write the sequence of actions as a list, then rehearse each action until its size and position never drift
- Practise opening and closing unseen objects, lifting weights and touching walls until they look real from the back of the room
- Exaggerate expression slightly for a hall, but keep it truthful to the moment
- Time a full run and trim to your band's limit, leaving a calm final moment
- Rehearse in front of a friend and ask them to say the story back; if they cannot, simplify
- Wear plain, comfortable clothing, and check the syllabus before using props or music
- Hold your final pose for a beat before relaxing so the ending lands
Frequently asked questions
Is Mime Solo judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Can I speak or make sounds in Mime Solo?
No. The class is silent and judged on movement and expression. Check the event syllabus for any rule on sound effects or music.
Is Mime Solo the same as Mime?
They are separate listings. Mime Solo is a single performer in the age bands set by the event, while Mime is a different catalogue item with its own page.
How long is a Mime Solo performance?
It depends on the event. On the Sri Lankan template it is 2 minutes for ages 7-9, 3 minutes for 10-14 and 4 minutes for 15 and over.
Can I use props or costume?
That is set by the event syllabus, so check it first. Most performers rely on the body and keep any additions minimal.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full mime & tableau judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
Try Mime Solo in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Mime Solo, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
