Derren Brown has the wow-factor

10 April 2012

For his next trick? We cannot say, because Derren Brown requests that everyone zips their lips about the details of his latest show, Svengali.

Though why he has to ask is mysterious. Surely the master manipulator can waggle his sinister moustache and hypnotise his audience into silence.

But then we would be unable to recommend his baffling, bamboozling and beautifully bewitching display of devilry.

Fans who have seen Brown onstage before may experience diminishing returns in the usual body language lessons and number games. The smirky patter is becoming familiar and there is only so many times he can fake spontaneity without it looking fake. But alongside "so-what?" predictable there's wow-factor unpredictable. Particularly following the interval, when events on the Victorian inventor set took a turn for the creepy.

After a bravura finale everyone was asking how he does it. That barely matters. He does not claim to be psychic or supernatural, so revelations of mirrors and misdirection would only disappoint.

The real magic is the incomparable showmanship.

Svengali is no departure but when it comes to eye-popping illusions Brown is the only game in town.

Until July 16 (020 7379 5399, shaftesburytheatre.com)

Derren Brown: Svengali
Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8DP

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