Cut Out & Peep

"ENNIO MARCHETTO. Isn't he the bloke who writes the music for all those spaghetti westerns?".

Judging by the sub-Arctic look I get from Mr. Marchetto's press agent, apparently not.

"I bet people are always making that mistake," I offer in an attempt to ease the tension.

"No, never."

Oops, that's one less card Postie's going to be delivering to stately Clark Mansions this Christmas.

To be fair, I'm sure most of you don't have a clue who the flamboyant thirtysomething Italian is either. That's not the case across the water, though, where Marchetto is fast becoming a household name. The fact that most of these 'households' are located in the Home Counties, have four bedrooms, children named Rupert and Vanessa and a Range Rover parked in the drive, has more to do with the dreadfully elitist nature of British theatre-going than any lofty pretension on yer man's part.

"I think the English understand my sense of irony," reflects Ennio, "whereas at home, in Italy, they like their humour to be obvious and straightforward. There's also a problem in that it's a very macho society. A man portraying female characters makes them feel uncomfortable which is sad but there are some attitudes you're never going to change."

LIBERATE FREDDIE MERCURY

Explaining precisely what it is that Marchetto does is only marginally less difficult than scratching your right ear with your left foot. To fully appreciate his artistry, you have to be centre-stage as he uses nothing more hi-tech than paper costumes, wigs and props to create a dazzling pageant of stars.

The transformations take place in the blink of an eye - the Queen hurling away her handbag, pulling down her hat and lifting her skirt to liberate Freddie Mercury; Bond's suit unfolding to reveal Shirley Bassey in full 'Goldfinger' armour; and a Geisha girl developing sideburns and a curled lip to become the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Completely.

It's equal parts Danny La Rue, Divine and Freddie Starr - camp, kitsch and extremely funny.

"I laugh," he, er, laughs, "when critics come to the show and write afterwards that I'm trying to make some kind of statement. There's no message. I'm an entertainer, not a politician and whatever beliefs I have, I keep them to myself.

"The most important thing is for me to like a character. Then, I have to feel that the audience will know who they are and react to them positively. Women are generally easier to take off than men because they have a stronger, more exaggerated image. I'm a surrealist rather than an impersonator, so I tend not to watch videos. Instead, I listen to tapes and get ideas on how to move and look from their voices."

Showbiz legend has it that the inspiration for Ennio's present show came from a daydream he had whilst working on an Espresso machine in his father's repair-shop.

"That's true," he insists. "It was a very boring job and suddenly I had this image of a paper Marilyn Monroe fluttering above my head. I started off as a street performer, then I moved into cabaret and my big break came in 1990 when I was invited to the Edinburgh Festival and I've been back there every year since.

"Marilyn will always be my favourite character. I love watching her old films and I get upset when the papers print these stories about the affairs she's supposed to have had and the drugs she's meant to have taken because she's not around to defend herself. They ought to let her rest in peace."

Marilyn will be joined by Madonna, Tom Jones, Pavarotti, Diana Ross, Edith Piaf and a cast of hundreds when Ennio appears this month in Galway, Dublin and Cork.

"I haven't been to Ireland since performing at the Gaiety in 1990. I'm not too sure what the crowd thought but I enjoyed myself and this time I'm bringing a juggling trio with me, so it should be a lot of fun."

You never know, he might even play 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' for us!

• Ennio Marchetto appears at the Seapoint Ballroom, Galway on October 7th, the Olympia Theatre in Dublin (8th & 9th) and the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork (26th & 27th).