Before I begin this review, I need to point out that there will be absolutely NO SPOILERS. If you want to know what happens in the show then you won’t find it here because my lips are sealed.
You may think that this review may not be very informative considering I can’t actually review what I saw. You would be wrong.
Derren Brown is an illusionist, mentalist, trickster, hypnotist, painter, writer, and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions, and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat and since the first broadcast of his show Derren Brown: Mind Control in 2000, Brown has become increasingly well known for his mind-reading act. Though Brown’s performances of mind-reading and other feats of mentalism may appear to be the result of psychic or paranormal practices, he claims no such abilities and instead relies heavily on misdirection for his tricks, helped by the audience viewing him as having deep psychological insights. He relies on a wide array of techniques to prevent audiences from deducing the techniques he has used
Miracle was the second time I had seen Derren Brown live, the first being around 5 years ago in Wolverhampton when I left the theatre feeling completely and utterly dumbfounded and Googling secrets of the trade to try and fathom what I had just witnessed.
Miracle is a little bit like Fight Club, “what happens at Miracle stays at Miracle”, in fact it’s one of the requests that Brown makes of the audience from the get go. If you’re found telling other people about what happens in the show then you get sent to Coventry (or somewhere else down the M6).
What I can tell you is that Brown commands the stage, is charming, captivating and extremely quick witted. Throughout the two and a half hour show he has the audience eating from the palm of his hand and as with most of his shows relies on the participation from said audience.
You may not quite believe what you see and you may have your theories as to how the tricks are illusions are done, the foyer of the theatre was abuzz with “how did he do it?” whisperings. These shocked gasps and hands to mouth reactions in response to Browns acts have earned him an estimated half a million audience members spanning his 7 live shows since 2003.
Mind boggling, mind blowing and mind bending are the words I would use to describe Miracle. It truly is a show to be seen and it is where the magic of Brown can truly be experienced.
Derren Brown Miracle will run at the Regent Theatre in Stoke until the 9th May. Tickets are available online or via the Box Office.
I saw him in London in January and previously a few years ago in Bournemouth.