Mime drama ‘Make Some Silence’ hits Shilpakala this Friday

Mime collective The Mummers returns to the stage this Friday with “Make Some Silence”, a wordless performance that uses physical expression to reflect on contemporary social realities and human crises.
The production will be staged at 6:30pm on Friday at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, according to a statement from the group.
Directed by Shahidul Murad and written by Murad and Raj Ghosh, “Make Some Silence” positions silence not as absence, but as language. Standing amid a clamorous social and political landscape, the production attempts to hold up a mirror to society, the state, and the inner lives of individuals—without dialogue, spectacle, or easy resolution.
The performance is structured around five mime segments: “Chhai”, “Cricket”, “Atandra Prohori”, “Unpredictable Day”, and “Rokto Pipashu”, each addressing a distinct social or political concern.
“Chhai” foregrounds the lives of Bangladeshi day labourers, tracing their labour, suffering, exploitation, and suppressed desire for resistance. “Cricket” turns to the country’s enduring obsession with the sport, capturing the emotional intensity of the field and the collective investment in the national team.
“Atandra Prohori”, dedicated to the seven Bir Sreshtho—Bangladesh’s highest military honour, awarded to the seven most valiant heroes of the Liberation War—reflects on vigilance, sacrifice, and duty through the figure of the border guard.
“Unpredictable Day” follows a traffic police officer navigating an eventful and chaotic workday, drawing attention to the strain of urban order-keeping. The final piece, “Rokto Pipashu”, delivers a stark, physical protest against war and genocide worldwide, calling for resistance to organised violence.

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Performers in the production include Shahidul Murad, Shafiqul Rahman, Sarwar Sabuj, Rimi Sheikh, Maruf Khan, Habib, Titu, Lajuk, and Tanisha Ahmed. The creative team includes Nazmul Hossain on atmospheric music, Fazle Rabbi Sukarna on lighting design, and Irene Sultana on projector operation. Snigdha Ferdous, chief of the mime group “Mukbalaka”, will appear as a guest performer.
“Make Some Silence” was previously staged last Friday at the main hall of Ali Ahammad Chunka City Library and Auditorium in Narayanganj, drawing attention for its restrained form and socially engaged themes.
Founded on 1 January 2019 under the slogan ‘Where silence speaks’, The Mummers has positioned itself as one of the country’s few dedicated mime groups working with explicitly social and political material. Rather than offering comfort or abstraction, the group’s work relies on discipline, physical control, and deliberate restraint—inviting audiences to listen closely to what is left unsaid.