The night Derren Brown WIPED my MEMORY
And proved to this cynical critic that our minds really can be controlled
Derren Brown — Showman (Apollo Theatre, London) Verdict: Spellbinding ★★★★✩
DERREN BROWN’s stage hypnotism could be seen as a form of high-end gaslighting.
For those not familiar with the term which preoccupies the minds of teenage girls and conspiracy theorists of every stripe, it’s the crafty manipulation of others by conjuring up false perceptions.
That is certainly what happened to me in the wily old TV trickster’s latest west End show. And as a susceptible stage hypnotism virgin, I was greatly relieved to survive Brown’s early attempt to make me forget my own name.
others weren’t so lucky — although some confidently imagined names not their own. ‘Lucy!’ speculated someone whose partner confirmed that she was actually olivia.
so I was quietly confident I’d be able to survive Brown’s next move: the ‘card to box’ routine. But he nailed me good and proper, somehow erasing all memory of a ten- second section of a card trick performed before our very eyes (and shown on video, as proof, at the end).
The illusionist’s masterful cunning resides in the suburban insouciance of his slight build, grey suit and smooth pate. Nothing exceptional here, you might think. But be assured, this Mr Average of Acacia Avenue, Croydon, pulls tricks that might once have had him burnt at the stake.
His modus operandi is mugging us in plain view, by identifying risk-takers and those most likely to fall under his spell.
Before that, he softens us up collectively by debunking the way horoscope NATuRALLy, columnists prey on credulity.
we all think we’re above such hokum — and in that moment we fall into his trap. Then he’s off, selecting victims by flipping a frisbee into the crowd, putting them to sleep on their feet with a snap of his fingers, or having them predict heads or tails with spinning coins. It’s an act that demonstrates the writer Jonathan swift’s definition of happiness as ‘the perpetual possession of being well deceived’.
But it is also carefully crafted, with mental acrobatics escalating like a high-wire circus act that raises the stakes at every turn.
The highlight comes towards the end, with Brown revealing personal details about another four volunteers, based on keepsakes they have brought along to the show.
In this, he is careful to exploit and reveal an emotional core of vulnerability and empathy in us all — a theme which is subtly threaded throughout the show.
you will, I’m afraid, need to attend showman to discover for yourself how all this works; and it will be different on different nights. Moreover, Brown is adept at diverting our attention when the odd trick doesn’t quite pan out.
But the message at the heart of his sleights of hand is that what makes us feel most alone is what we have most in common. some of the gimmicks, incidentally, are inspired by Agnes and Julius Zancig, a couple who made a fortune with their own stage act in the late 19th century and went about Europe ‘rinsing’ casinos.
My only remaining question, therefore, is how come Derren’s not winning Euro-Millions week in, week out?