I’ve been asked not to tell what happens in the show. Maybe because not much happens after all; if the real reason is copyright infringement, I think they will be fine: there’s hardly anything in this show worth stealing, and even the good bits aren’t that good (and certainly not original).
Derren Brown has impressed us in the past — or so they say. Not this time, though. At least, that’s how I hope audiences will react, as I expect them to know better and demand accordingly. An unnecessarily weird opening precedes the most sluggish numbers, in which interminable buildups culminate in a remarkably unimpressive, ironically unrewarding payoff.
Act One barely includes four renditions, and none of them justifies staying for the rest of the performance. If I hadn’t been on duty that night, chances are I would have left. Fortunately, the end of the second half restores some faith in Brown’s abilities. But before, viewers must endure an incredibly uncomfortable segment that screams phoniness from start to finish.
Of course, no one comes to a magic show thinking the guy onstage has real powers. But what makes it (or would have made it, in this case) exciting and fun to watch is not knowing how it’s done. In other words, we want to be stunned. When you get the feeling that most of the audience participation is staged, the only actual trick is the sensation of being tricked into attending a mediocre production.
There’s nothing more to say when a show’s contents must remain secret — if you ask me, though, there’s no point in being discreet when the inner workings of each number are so blatantly obvious (even when they don’t require fake spectators). Then again, there’s also no point in keeping dissecting such an insubstantial piece. Ultimately, this illusionist act is nothing but a big disillusionment.
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All pictures credit to Pamela Raith.
Derren Brown: Only Human plays at London’s Apollo Theatre until 30 January. Tickets are available on the following link.