By Patricia Boccadoro

PARIS, 6 November 1998 - The show started in the lobby. The audience was queueing up to get its tickets when nine straight-backed, stiff-kneed majorettes, attired in varying shades of apricot and orange, strutted amongst them, swinging batons, beating drums. They were generally taking themselves very seriously indeed, despite the muffled giggles of the onlookers.

The billboard showed we were there for Philippe Decoufflé's Shazam, but what we got was a conjuring trick which dazzled for over 1 1/2 hours.

Dance, theatre, magic, illusion, mirrors, cinema, movement, life, death, love, humour, fragility, anguish, countryside, insects - insects?

Ending with nine "majorettes", this time dressed in darker tones of apricot and orange, grouped together statuesque, impassive and motionless, except for fingers clacking imaginery castagnettes to the lively music of "Hernando's Hideaway."

Commedia dell' arte with an international accent. Olé!

MC93 - Maison de la Culture de Bobigny

From 26 November until 17 July 1999, the show will tour 11 French cities as well as being produced in Lisbon, Antwerp, Japan, Jerusalem, Amsterdam and London.