Something Wicked This Way Comes
"We Are Pavlov’s Dogs In His Hands"
On Friday night I went to see Derren’s sellout Something Wicked This Way Comes Tour 2005.
As you know, I’ve seen Derren Brown live before and I’m a huge fan. This time we bought seats in the stalls with the vain hope that somehow I would get picked and get to go up on stage and be part of one of the “demonstrations”. In order to introduce a level of randomisation when selecting participants, Derren would throw a toy monkey (selected presumably for all the ‘toss my monkey’ type jokes this afforded) into the audience. It would then be thrown around the audience another two times, with the person left holding the monkey invited up on stage. This ended up a bit like the bouquet toss at a wedding, with all the same level of mad grasping to get hold of Derrens monkey (see you can’t help it). Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the stage, unlike the ambitious student two seats to my left, and the guy sitting next to us on the right.
The show was fantastic, and I would say even better than the previous tour. The pace was electric, and my only criticism was when Derren demonstrated some ‘Fakir’ type stuff in the middle, that wasn’t really to my taste and a bit out of character for Derren. I’m not going to spoil the show for anyone, but needless to say each trick builds up and up on the previous ones, culminating with a typical ’see how I brainwashed you all the way throughout the show’ type revelation. One thing you miss when watching Derren on TV is the humour he brings to the show, the guy is seriously funny, and he is a superb performer in front of a live audience.
Derren Brown has carved out a thoroughly unique niche with his performance. He performs tricks using well trodden methods but makes the effect seem incredible by wrapping it up in his psycho-magic/mindreader persona. He believes it, so we believe him. No big illusions, just envelopes and marker pens and ‘the general public’. The planning involved in the two and a half hour show is mind-blowing. For the finale, in order to distract us at the crucial moment he has spent the whole of the second half making us accustomed to the movement he needs to do, so that when he does it, it seems normal. We are Pavlov’s dogs in his hands. The show comes around full circle and leaves us open-mouthed when he finally leaves the stage. This show is breathtaking, and you must see it. A West End run of it has just been announced, so make sure you get your tickets now. You will not be disappointed. I might even go again myself.
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