Derren Brown review: ‘He brings a fascinating smattering of both mystery and humour to his on-stage act and he leaves audiences guessing’
This a review with a pretty major rule attached. I can’t mention anything that happens in the show.
The production in question is Derren Brown’s nationwide tour of Only Human which is running at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate until Saturday July 25.
Although quite a tough rule to apply to a theatre review, the whole ‘not saying anything’ issue is completely understandable.
Derren Brown has been commanding his audiences for at least 20 years now. I went along to his show with my brother (a big fan) and it wasn’t the first time either of us had seen the enigmatic star in action.
Derren is known as a master of mind control and psychological illusion. He is an entertainer with stage presence.
He brings a fascinating smattering of both mystery and humour to his on-stage act and he leaves audiences guessing.
Being in the audience of a Derren Brown show is an intriguing experience and one in which the viewers themselves play an active part.
The production explores the power of the human mind and forces us to ask questions of ourselves and each other.
In a highly technical age in which mystery is minimised and audiences have often rigid ideas about the art of the possible, Derren Brown’s show feels brave.
It forces an examination of exactly how much scope the human brain has and encourages viewers to explore the capability of their own minds.
His shows leave us guessing, and with the lingering question - ‘how did he really do that?’ I’m not sure any of us will get these answers but there is something endlessly entertaining in trying.
To find out about ticket availability for Only Human, visit royalandderngate.co.uk