How entertaining? ★★★★☆
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆ 20 July 2012
This a theatre review of DERREN BROWN - SVENGALI. |
“Better be careful, I’m a borderline national treasure.”
Brown asked us not to reveal the details of the show for fear of spoiling it for future attendees. “Make stuff up of course,” he offers. I won’t do either, as tempting as his encouragement is - I’m not that kind of journo. The trick is to give you a taster without ruining any of the performance. And what a show! The first half is an extraordinary display of Jedi mind tricks, humour and charming braggadocio. The baleful TV persona is replaced with a very funny stage presence, and a serious twinkle in his eye.
Brown asked us not to reveal the details of the show for fear of spoiling it for future attendees. “Make stuff up of course,” he offers. I won’t do either, as tempting as his encouragement is - I’m not that kind of journo. The trick is to give you a taster without ruining any of the performance. And what a show! The first half is an extraordinary display of Jedi mind tricks, humour and charming braggadocio. The baleful TV persona is replaced with a very funny stage presence, and a serious twinkle in his eye.
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The opening scene-setter is an explanation for the title of his show, which is creepy. The dictionary definition of Svengali is “a person who exercises a controlling or mesmeric influence on another, especially for a sinister purpose.” Here, in the form of an automaton; not returned to until the second half, which is the weaker part. The post-interval displays are darker but more convoluted, and consequently less satisfying, albeit still impressive.
One stroke of impressiveness, among many strokes of impressive feats, is the lottery-style tombola where Brown plucks seat numbers – he then has to guess that audience member’s most embarrassing story. It is squirm-inducing as you seriously don’t want to be picked. His skills at deduction are jaw-dropping, and the stories hilariously sordid and usually of a sexual nature. SVENGALI is perhaps not family friendly. The way Derren Brown involves the near capacity audience is extraordinary, making each sequence laugh-out-loud and very tense. The conjuring of entertaining peril is a real gift, one of many it seems. The occult, clairvoyance and painting, what a night!