EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 4TH JUNE 2022
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
5*****
Tuesday night at the Empire Theatre, illusionist and mentalist Derren Brown astonished the audience with an experience unlike any other. His is currently touring the UK with Showman, his first new production, in six years. His one-man-show is very impressive with a mix of suggestions, mind reading, illusions and of course showmanship!
Brown began performing in 1992, making his television debut with Derren Brown: Mind Control in 2000. He has won two Laurence Oliver Awards for Best Entertainment and made his Broadway debut with his 2019 stage show Secret. He has also written books for both magicians and the general public.
The audience (and me), have been sworn to secrecy over the content of his hugely successful show, as it needs to be experienced with no spoilers. What I can disclose is that the mind blowing journey starts as soon as you sit down. An atmosphere is created and it engages the audience through a rollercoaster world of wonder and wizardry. The key to attending any show of Brown is to keep an open mind and trust.
An important part of the show is the audience who are invited to take part throughout and leaves those on stage and in their seats in bewilderment. Throughout the show a live video is used and provides the audience with a different viewpoint, as it is projected onto the back of the stage. The sound, music and especially lighting, compliments the show and makes the experience more intense.
At the start of his show, Brown quotes PT Barnum saying ‘There is a sucker born every minute’, however his show leaves you wondering what was real and what wasn’t.