Derren Brown delivered a night filled with extraordinary mind-tricks, showmanship and illusion alongside his charismatic humour with an emotional undertone.
He has been redefining magic ever since his TV debut on Channel 4 in 'Derren Brown: Mind Control' becoming known for psychological manipulation.
Having studied psychology at school his shows were always a common choice for teachers to play in class and we also took a trip to the Wycombe Swan for his previous show Miracle five years ago.
The mystery is certainly still there in a show that takes you to the edge of your seat time after time as you try and figure out what just happened.
Members of the crowd are regularly up on stage as Brown constantly interacts with the audience as he works his mind in what is an elite performance.
As I exited the theatre I couldn’t help but notice the gentle chatter between fascinated audience members scratching their heads and speculating the methods behind the madness.
Reviewing a Derren Brown show isn’t easy particularly when he asks you not to spoil any tricks for others.
The Croydon-born star acknowledges himself that after 20 years as a regular on our screen he has been in work longer than many of his fans have been alive.
In his programme notes, he says “people (and let’s be clear about this: people I sometimes fancy) have known me since before they were gestating
“I am middleaged and have been with you since I was thirty, full-faced and convincingly heterosexual.”
We’ve seen him entrance a nation on their sofas through television, play Russian Roulette live, control minds to lead to stooge heists, apocalypses, plane disasters and even murders.
But in the presence of him live it proved that Brown is at his best on stage.
Now 50, he is still as sharp as ever opening the show discussing “how the thing that makes us feel most alone, are the things that bring us together most,” and you can almost see his brain working as he assesses the people involved.
Prior to the show, Brown took to social media to ask people coming to the show in High Wycombe to bring a personal item with sentimental value.
If you are coming to see me this week @wycombeswan, do watch this first if you haven’t seen it. pic.twitter.com/2lwwGFgiAa
— Derren Brown (@DerrenBrown) March 14, 2022
The performance is more of an experience than a simple show, as every audience member is given the chance to get involved even if you missed his call out.
A cameraman is also used to give the audience a close-up view of what is happening and to make sure everyone gets a clear view of every coin-toss and card shuffle.
This proved to be another memorizing display in what was an unforgettable night.
Pre-show dining is available at the Wycombe Swan with a brand-new Spring menu that offers a wide range of starters, mains and interval desserts (see pictures).
To book tickets visit: https://wycombeswan.co.uk/.
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