Poet of Silence: Floriana Frassetto is co-founder of Mummenschanz and performs in Mannheim

MANNHEIM – Floriana Frassetto is a founding member of the Swiss puppet theater Mummenschanz. For more than four decades, artists have captivated audiences around the world with their poetic, wordless art. At the Mannheim Nationaltheater, the ensemble will perform with the new show "you & me" on the last weekend of July. Wherever artists occur, the imagination of each spectator drives the most glorious flowers, enchants training with his art of cultivated minimalism. Floriana Frassetto explains why two eyes, one nose and one mouth are enough for an exciting conversation.

Mrs. Frassetto, Mummenschanz is a successful export article from Switzerland. Where is the key to a successful poetry theater?

I wonder about it every time the public applauds. And I still do not know exactly. Perhaps our performance will awaken the memories of people who have been lost in everyday life and are stroking the inside of innocent people. Who knows?

Have you ever experimented in this direction since the beginning?

In fact, but by no means with a structured planning, but rather by instinct. The poetry of our characters has come to us and matured over the years. She will never be perfect. This is why our project continues to evolve. We work there every day. And that's exactly why Mummenschanz always stays fresh and alive. We now have over 120 independent issues to choose from.

After innumerable concerts, the actors always have fun performing on stage

What a question, definitely. We do not have any music on stage, but we have the ear to hear the audience for an hour and a half. I have the feeling that it's exactly what makes each idea different. Under our masks, we see nothing or almost nothing. But we hear all the reactions of the people in the room. And they are different each time. At the end of the performance, I almost always cry, so the feelings are deep. With our show, we bring the audience a moment of rest. We do not offer great shows, but poetry and emotions. I think in today 's world, where everything is so fast, it' s good to indulge in this joy of playing.

They are also called "musicians of silence". Do you like the name?

Of course. Once you've written about us, you've seen that scenes without words have a certain rhythm. This magic is transmitted to our audience and you feel it creates a musical accompaniment without notes. Somehow enchanting, is not it?

So rhythm, poetry and silence characterize their secret?

And the interaction with the public more and more relaxed, yes. The playfulness of the characters also plays an important role, the same feelings that adults usually lose over the years.

If you could change something in the world, what would it be?

Where should I start? It's really wrong, but maybe it would be a small step towards a better future if people were treated with even more respect. The motto of the Beatles "All you need is love" could be a good start.

The interview was conducted by Wolf Goldschmitt.