Derren Brown: Showman (stage show)
Discussion
We went.
Thought it was absolute rubbish. Very disappointed
For example, the bit where he brings up 4 sets of couples and he amazingly works out who is partnered with who by reading their tone of voice etc....
Did you not notice that he got the men to write their own name tags, but also those of their partners? and then simply matched the hand-writing.....
The person that is volunteered at the start (using the phone number thing) was clearly a stooge/plant - we saw the person leave the show alone at the end which raised our suspicions (very unlikely someone attends these things alone), so we spoke to someone who went to the show a few days prior, and they described the very same person)
In fairness it was a good spectacle, and was an entertaining couple of hours, but once you see through one or two of the tricks, it completely undermines the 'magic/illusion' of the rest of the show.
Thought it was absolute rubbish. Very disappointed
For example, the bit where he brings up 4 sets of couples and he amazingly works out who is partnered with who by reading their tone of voice etc....
Did you not notice that he got the men to write their own name tags, but also those of their partners? and then simply matched the hand-writing.....
The person that is volunteered at the start (using the phone number thing) was clearly a stooge/plant - we saw the person leave the show alone at the end which raised our suspicions (very unlikely someone attends these things alone), so we spoke to someone who went to the show a few days prior, and they described the very same person)
In fairness it was a good spectacle, and was an entertaining couple of hours, but once you see through one or two of the tricks, it completely undermines the 'magic/illusion' of the rest of the show.
Edited by monthefish on Tuesday 23 August 16:54
Edited by monthefish on Tuesday 23 August 16:56
Saw him in the West End about 15 years ago...outside the theatre I was almost flattened by a sweaty cyclist in a shirt and tie....one Boris Johnson !
Then more strangeness as I found myself sitting behind Ken Campbell and next to Will Self who I snook down a corridor with at the interval for a sly fag - the smoking ban being a recent thing - before being chased out like naughty laughing schoolboys by a West Indian cleaning lady.
I found the entire show pretty phenomenal.
However....as the show ended I was having trouble recalling much of what I'd seen, a mind-wipe if you will. My son was suffering the same weird amnesia and, round the corner in a Jazz bar, we met a couple who were also having a hard time with the details of what they'd seen....
Spooky.
Then more strangeness as I found myself sitting behind Ken Campbell and next to Will Self who I snook down a corridor with at the interval for a sly fag - the smoking ban being a recent thing - before being chased out like naughty laughing schoolboys by a West Indian cleaning lady.
I found the entire show pretty phenomenal.
However....as the show ended I was having trouble recalling much of what I'd seen, a mind-wipe if you will. My son was suffering the same weird amnesia and, round the corner in a Jazz bar, we met a couple who were also having a hard time with the details of what they'd seen....
Spooky.
monthefish said:
We went.
Thought it was absolute rubbish. Very disappointed
For example, the bit where he brings up 4 sets of couples and he amazingly works out who is partnered with who by reading their tone of voice etc....
Did you not notice that he got the men to write their own name tags, but also those of their partners? and then simply matched the hand-writing.....
The person that is volunteered at the start (using the phone number thing) was clearly a stooge/plant - we saw the person leave the show alone at the end which raised our suspicions (very unlikely someone attends these things alone), so we spoke to someone who went to the show a few days prior, and they described the very same person)
In fairness it was a good spectacle, and was an entertaining couple of hours, but once you see through one or two of the tricks, it completely undermines the 'magic/illusion' of the rest of the show.
Spoiler alert Thought it was absolute rubbish. Very disappointed
For example, the bit where he brings up 4 sets of couples and he amazingly works out who is partnered with who by reading their tone of voice etc....
Did you not notice that he got the men to write their own name tags, but also those of their partners? and then simply matched the hand-writing.....
The person that is volunteered at the start (using the phone number thing) was clearly a stooge/plant - we saw the person leave the show alone at the end which raised our suspicions (very unlikely someone attends these things alone), so we spoke to someone who went to the show a few days prior, and they described the very same person)
In fairness it was a good spectacle, and was an entertaining couple of hours, but once you see through one or two of the tricks, it completely undermines the 'magic/illusion' of the rest of the show.
Ultimately, he is a fantastic entertainer, and an expert in reading human behaviour and body language.
I remember the live Russian roulette thing he did a few years ago, and the live prediction of the lottery numbers. Obviously there is a method (trick) behind it, but it's just so gripping and mesmerising to watch at the time.
Wasn't a fan of the Trick or Treat thing he did.
FatboyKim said:
Spoiler alert
Perhaps, but if a layman like me can see through the magic, I don't think I'm doing him a disservice.He is a great entertainer, and I've loved a lot of stuff he's done in the past (the sports gambling project was genius) which is probably why I was so disappointed with this.
His stuff when he started out in TV was fantastic, so with 15+ years extra experience and wealth/production support etc, I feel his stuff now should be mind-blowing, not lazy easily-guessed illusions purporting to be mind-tricks.
We were massive fans after watching the TV shows so booked to see his stage show about 15 years ago.
The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
rustyuk said:
We were massive fans after watching the TV shows so booked to see his stage show about 15 years ago.
The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
I think that's the one I saw as well. Seem to remember him getting everyone to stand up, then gradually filtered the audience down until he has two willing people to bring up on the stage and he [apparently] made one guy fall asleep for the duration.The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
FatboyKim said:
rustyuk said:
We were massive fans after watching the TV shows so booked to see his stage show about 15 years ago.
The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
I think that's the one I saw as well. Seem to remember him getting everyone to stand up, then gradually filtered the audience down until he has two willing people to bring up on the stage and he [apparently] made one guy fall asleep for the duration.The stage show was just shocking at how bad it was was. He did one trick in which a bell was rung inside a 4 poster bed, it was so obvious to see what he was doing it was painful to watch.
Another trick involved getting someones dead grandparents name engraved on a trophy. The member of the audience said the name out load then at least 3-4 mins later the trophy was revealed. Easy enough time for someone back stage to just engrave the name.
The big finale was also just a quick switch of some papers. Massive build up and then you saw him just switch the answers in total plain sight.
We left feeling that his TV shows are highly edited rather than fantastic tricks.
Pretty poor really. He should have just stuck to TV.
We went a saw him at the Bournemouth Pavillion on Saturday.
Brilliant entertainment.
Just immerse yourself into it and be entertained, we all know it is very clever trickery but it is entertainment of the highest order.
Not many left like this any more.
He had the audience gasping in amazement, Laughing out loud and some even crying at one point.
Brilliant entertainment.
Just immerse yourself into it and be entertained, we all know it is very clever trickery but it is entertainment of the highest order.
Not many left like this any more.
He had the audience gasping in amazement, Laughing out loud and some even crying at one point.
Looks like a few of us saw him on Saturday, myself included.
I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
Sir Bagalot said:
Looks like a few of us saw him on Saturday, myself included.
I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
I'd argue at his level, with his experience, it should be at least 90% WTAF, (with <10% you've got an idea of how it's done).I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
monthefish said:
Sir Bagalot said:
Looks like a few of us saw him on Saturday, myself included.
I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
I'd argue at his level, with his experience, it should be at least 90% WTAF, (with <10% you've got an idea of how it's done).I've seen him a few times before and honestly thought this tour wasn't as good. It was good, just not as good. Others we spoke to after also had the same thoughts.
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
That said, I do think it is increasingly hard for him to keep presenting relatively ordinary magic as being something more (a couple of the hypnotism sections were just typical stage hypnotist routines, for example).
Overall though, I think it was a really great show. Everyone coming out of the theatre that I saw was buzzing and he's a great entertainer.
on 10th October 2016 Sir Bagalot said:
I've seen him live several times and really enjoy his shows.
A third you know how he does, another third you work out on the way home/over the next couple of days, and the final third you simply think WTF!!!
A third you know how he does, another third you work out on the way home/over the next couple of days, and the final third you simply think WTF!!!
Sir Bagalot said:
I usually go by a third you can work out how he did it there and then, another third you've worked out by the time you get home, and the other third you simply think WTAF.
Recycling your old posts? That's just lazy Gassing Station | TV, Film, Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff