Derren Brown reviewed

Alan Bunce • Published 4 Jun 2009 08:30 0 Comments

THE title of Derren Brown"s current show rather plays down his ability as master of deception.

Enigma at the Hexagon was like most of his - a sell out offering a weird evening of inexplicable events.

One woman deep in trance, selected another woman in the audience who was asked to count all the cash she had on her. The £82.24 turned out to be the figure another audience member on the stage had written on a card just beforehand.

There was someone drinking vinegar like it was water, there was people sent into trance in the audience and a bizarre series of inexplicable revelations as he appeared to re-inact what old time performers claimed to be raising spirits.

It ended in a eye-opening finale about whether anything could be random which left everyone scratching their heads. Reviewers were asked not reveal the ending but it"s fair (and obvious) to say it was very very clever.

The show was a treat for anyone unused to him but for those who have been before there was a feeling that this was less remarkable.

It didn"t quite have the jaw dropping originality he normally creates and debate among various friends and family I met there was more about the fact that my son one was of a few dozen audience members whose photos were used for the first trick.

A woman picked his picture out and Derren appeared to guess it correctly from a couple of dozen. She had been chosen because she caught a disc Derren Brown had thrown out. Afterwards I learned the disc landed with her because my niece, sat next to her, moved out the way.

Maybe the show was weirder than I thought.

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 04 Jun 09

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