May 17 2012
by Jack Abell, Buckinghamshire Advertiser

Get ready for a theatrical roller-coaster ride on May 28th when Derren Brown, dubbed a ‘psychological illusionist’ by the critics, is set to baffle and astound Buckinghamshire audiences.

His latest show, Svengali, has been receiving rave reviews and opens at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on Monday, 28th May, and runs until Saturday, June 2.

Combining magic, suggestion and psychology, in order to seemingly predict and control human behaviour, as well as performing mind-bending feats of mentalism, Derren has consistently stunned audiences across the nation with his live stage shows, earning him a string of awards and accolades. He has won both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment Show, and a Silver Rose d’Or for Variety.

I ask Derren how long it takes to put together a show like Svengali. “It takes about a month to write, then a further month of rehearsals,” says Derren. He admits that touring is the highlight of his year.

“As much as I enjoy doing television, there’s nothing like performing in a live stage show,” he says. “I am constantly finding ways of improving each show, and it’s great to have the immediate feedback of an audience.”

Born in Croydon in 1971, Derren traces his interest in magic and psychological techniques to childhood, but it was only later at Bristol University, where he studied Law and German that he started to take it seriously. After graduating, Derren abandoned a career in law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic. His interest in magic was sparked off by seeing a show by Martin Taylor, a hypnotist, who specialised in close up magic. “After seeing one of Martin’s shows, I went out and bought a book of magic tricks and it all started from there,” says Derren. His favourite magicians include Chan Canasta, a pioneer of mental magic in the 50s and 60s, David Berglas, a psychological magician, and Penn and Teller, two eccentric magicians with a psychotic twist.

Derren’s big break came in 1999 when he was asked by Channel 4 to put a TV show together. The result was Derren Brown: Mind Control, which was shown in December 2000 and proved an immediate success. Since then, Derren has created TV and stage performances that have stunned audiences, debunked the paranormal and encouraged many to improve and enhance their own mental abilities. These include Trick of the Mind, Trick or Treat and a series of specials including the controversial Russian Roulette. I ask if Derren has any favourites?

“Hero at 30,000 Feet,” he replies. “It aired on Channel 4 on the 8th September 2010 and the person taking part actually thought he was landing a plane and saving the lives of hundreds of passengers. It was a huge set up around one person and was a great piece of TV and really moving.”

Though his performances of mind-reading and other feats of mentalism may appear to be the result of psychic or paranormal practices, Derren claims no such abilities and frequently denounces those who do. Using his knowledge and skill, he appears to be able to predict and influence people’s thoughts with subtle suggestion, manipulate the decision-making process and read the subtle physical and psychological signs or body language that indicate what a person is thinking.

Apart from his award winning shows, he’s an accomplished artist. His work has been exhibited at the prestigious Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, as well as being published in a book called Portraits. He’s also a prolific writer and has penned many best-selling books, including Tricks of the Mind which was on the Amazon best-seller list for over 30 weeks.

What does he like to do in his spare time? “I like to paint, read or watch DVDs (mainly films). I also try and get away at the weekend whenever possible,” says Derren. Does he watch his own TV shows? “Hardly ever! By the time it comes on TV, I have seen it millions of times in the editing suite, so there’s little point in watching it again.” His shows have sparked off interest from overseas. “There is some interest from America in doing a TV series, so if that takes off, then there will hopefully be a Broadway run,” says Derren.

Critics have described Derren Brown as ‘this country’s greatest illusionist’ and Svengali looks set to be the hottest ticket in town.

l Svengali is at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from Monday, May 28 to Saturday, June 2. Fot tickets, call the box office on 0844 871 7607 or book online at www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury. Booking fees apply.