The act of carving a traditional noh mask is referred to as “omote wo utsu” (to strike the surface). The sacred and supremely refined art of noh – which is said to be the world’s oldest form of theatre and to have remained unchanged for over six centuries – has at its heart the notion of masks and illusion; and the impulse towards complete body transformation is carried through to many areas of performance and life in contemporary Japan.

With choreography by Yuka Kobayashi and costumes by Taisuke Abe, She de cusu oh chee! is another Japanese performance troupe based on disguise and escapist alter egos – watch out for their super kawaii public interventions which can happen anywhere at any time …