Acari is famous for putting most of his audience to sleep; but then he is a comedy hypnotist.

His shows, which have seen him put up to 500 volunteers under at the one time, are so popular people often have to be turned away at the door.

The Ipswich Regent’s Circle Lounge will be his playground on September 13.

“My shows run for three hours but they’re very fast, there’s a lot of movement, quick changes. One minute we’ve got Michel Jackson on the stage, the next a guy could come out dressed as Lady Gaga,” says Acari, who inherited the name from a late friend who also practised hypnosis.

“I’m not allowed to tell you what it means,” he adds cryptically.

“Then we have audience interaction. We have them running about the auditorium, back in their seats doing certain things when I say a certain command. There are people on stage doing Swan Lake, others in the audience think they’re football supporters; somebody might think they’re James Bond and start running about. I try to involve the audience as much as I can.”

If you don’t want to join in don’t worry. He only uses volunteers and stresses it’s a show for all ages; although participants need to be 18. Nor does he make anybody do anything he’s not prepared to do himself.

“Most people are frightened of hypnosis; it’s the fear of the unknown,” adds Acari, who describes hypnosis as a natural state of mind, nothing more than the simple power of suggestion.

“It’s just the music in your mind. I’m like the needle that’s switching the music on, making it play.”

A successful publican and businessman for 18 years, he left it all behind 14 years ago to follow in the footsteps of the hypnotist Robert Halpern.

“I got disillusioned; I just decided I wanted to do something completely different. When I was a young man I used to work in one of the local theatres in Dundee and when Robert, who was very big in the 80s, he used to pack theatres out, when he came I was totally amazed how he was able to do this.

“When I decided I wanted to do something different I thought I’m going to look at hypnosis and that was it. I’ve never looked back.”

As well as performing around the world, Acari holds private consultations, helping people battle serious problems.

“Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing better when somebody comes to you and by the time they’ve left you’ve helped them stop smoking, finally lose weight or rehabilitate them off drugs, stuff like that.

“When you’re on the stage, doing your shows, it’s a way of me releasing all the tension. And it’s a good night of fun.”

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