Derren Brown - Only Human

There can only be one word to describe this show – Mesmerizing.

Remaining true to my promise to not reveal the show’s content, you may think that perhaps I would struggle to write anything at all, but quite to the contrary, there is much to say and describe.

Audience participation is very much the name of the game for Derren Brown’s Only Human show. Coloured cards had been placed on every seat obliging all present to join in the fun. This immediately created an air of anticipation which was supplemented by short video clips of audience members from earlier shows describing how their prophecies were fulfilled. When our star of the evening appeared you could hear a pin drop in an auditorium of more than a thousand people.

The theme running through the show explores human free will and, ultimately each individual’s personal choice by blending the power of suggestion, mind-reading, psychological illusion, and I think some stage magic.

Derren Brown has always been able to bewitch, bewilder and befuddle his audiences, but from the very beginning of the show through to the very end of the performance, he securely held his audience, in the palm of his hand even having stated at the start that much of his skill lay in being able to plant and develop particular thoughts in other’s minds using the power of suggestions. He was assisted by clever lighting and the skilful blending of video clips into the fabric of the show, alternatively creating tension, amazement or laughter.

The willingness of the audience to participate in the show is astonishing and ranges from having the entire auditorium simultaneously rising to their feet and leaving their seats, to selecting and inviting many (eager) individuals onto the stage to assist with his illusions and tricks.

There is never a moment when he is not engaging directly with his audience, all of whom are real people, and some of whom unexpectedly find themselves on the stage with the master performing mind-blowing feats. All this at the gentle bidding a man in a shabby suit who happens to possess a remarkably articulate and persuasive way with words sprinkled along the way with a dose of gentle comedy.

If we didn’t already understand, his illusions, emotions and wisdom help us to appreciate that we are all human and that we all possess both strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately we are united by common experiences.

You will laugh and you may cry. You will wonder and you may even begin to believe in magic.
Derren Brown is a master of his craft and appears as a warm, witty, highly intelligent and a caring human being.

This is an exceptional evening’s entertainment and worth every one of your hard-earned pennies.


Sheffield Lyceum Until 18th July