REVIEW: Be careful what you think at ‘Derren Brown: Secret’ on Broadway
Photo: Derren Brown stars in Derren Brown: Secret at the Cort Theatre. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy / Provided by Rubenstein with permission.
Derren Brown has a secret or two for audiences of his new Broadway show, aptly titled Derren Brown: Secret. The mindful mind reader has entertained crowds around the world, including a celebrated off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater Company, and now he has set up his mentalism in Midtown Manhattan.
The two-and-a-half-hour show follows Brown through a series of acts and anecdotes about his life, the audience’s life and life in general. Along the way, he weaves in hilarious asides and thoughtful commentary.
His mind-reading acts are wonderfully realized and often jaw-droopingly climatic. Brown has a way of building suspense by inviting the audience into his mind, letting them consider deep questions while he works his magical powers.
Much of the show is based on theatricality and physicality. Brown has live participants — all of them selected by random frisbee tosses around the Cort Theatre — hold on to his shoulder so that he can “sense” their mind. On occasion, he repositions their hand and asks them to grip tighter or looser, all under the guise that just the right touch will instigate his so-called powers. For believers, the request to reposition a hand is seen as necessary, while for others it’s a clever narrative technique to build suspense — something akin to a trapeze artist pretending to fall before pulling off the stunt with ease.
But discussing “belief” at a mentalist or magic show is somewhat beside the point. One should give themselves over to Brown’s secrets and ruminating, and then the resultant experience is top-notch — enjoyable and mind-blowing.
Learning about Brown’s secrets, and the secrets of fellow audience members, is a fun, funny and considerate evening of Broadway theater. The overall impact, which is great, reminded me of Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães’ Nothing to Hide from a few years ago.
This one-man show is a welcome revelation that uses the powers of persuasion to win over the crowd of thinkers, all of whom are under inspection at Derren Brown: Secret.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Derren Brown: Secret is playing a strictly limited engagement through Jan. 4 at the Cort Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets.
