CHANGE FOR CHANGE'S SAKE

Last month, I mentioned the genius of mime, illusionist, and quick-change artiste, Arturo Brachetti.

Well, having just seen Brachetti's London show, Change, I cannot recommend it too enthusiastically: it's a 110 minute cavalcade of non-stop magic! Not just magic tricks - though he performed some beautiful examples of the conjurer's art - but the creation of a totally magical experience.

Brachetti's lightning transformations - guardsman into punk into bowler-hatted businessman into cockney pearly queen into Her Majesty QEII into Britannia - are a wonder to behold and the underlying philosophy of accepting the inevitable changes of life is presented with humour and poignancy.

And when it comes to speed in changing gear - no one does it better...

Change is on at the Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road until 3 January 2010. I would urge any of my readers who are within reasonable reach of the metropolis to beg, borrow or steal the wherewithal to get a ticket to this extraordinary and unforgettable show.

ALL CHANGE!

If you enjoyed seeing the great Arturo Brachetti on this blog the other week, I thought you might like to know a little more about this amazing artiste.

Brachetti was born in Turin in 1957 and is one of the fastest - if not the fastest - quick change artist in the world, able to change from one costume to another in a matter of seconds, often by throwing a sheet up and completely changing costume by the time it falls. In his current show Arturo performs no fewer than 80 characters in one evening.

As a child, he frequented a seminary where he encountered a young priest whose hobby was magic and who taught Brachetti many magic tricks which he frequently incorporates into his dazzling routines.

Here's the mercurial master of illusion demonstrating his incomparable skill and matchless wit...

Pure genius!

And finally, Arturo proves that BLACK is WHITE...

Visit the Brachetti website to read more about the amazing art of Arturo