Derren Brown: Showman. A Post COVID Answer to Lives & Loves Missed. Channel4i

[encaser]

Derren Brown's Showman is quite the emotional rollercoaster. It has all the expected trickery, amazement and shocked-to-laughter moments we've become used to but here plays deep into something of an open vein for many, namely loss, that is far from over after COVID's reaper was set loose in havoc. However, Brown's message is one of unity in life but also at it's end and, the importance of not letting those that are still here slip from your phone or calendar's attention.
The show is clearly very personal in detail, design and its push toward the similarities we share in wishes and wants in life, the regrets at not pursuing them and the people within them before it's too late or otherwise, all we're left with is those unfulfilled endings from which Derren makes use of the most popular quotes from the dying projected onstage. For Brown himself, he keeps citing that his father couldn't be there due to a prior engagement but keeps dropping in nuggets of yesteryear when the two enjoyed this or that or, would of liked to have but failed to venture down the path of open emotion as much as he'd of preferred.
Of course, all that emotion is professionally draped in an, albeit, none-to-subtle showman-esque style, as it's blended in with the mentalist stunts of memory recall (see oddly serendipitously, or perhaps not for her, actor Cush Jumbo plucked from the audience), put to sleep and then unconsciously 'trained' in number prediction. Audience members brought upon stage to, alternately, forget their name and a number to much hilarity. An audience member given a card to hold and secure but then for it to keep going walkabout to the same destination (will all the audience notice?). An emotionally charged and quite wonderful father and son moment with a bear - no, really. Items of memorabilia explained as to who they formerly belonged but more importantly who they were given to and their significance. And, a goldfish that may finally have made it...
Derren Brown's ability to mentally manipulate vast numbers of people into not seeing the, at times, clearly visible is quite astounding, their reactions priceless and were this near any other century, the man would be toasty hot for all the wrong reasons.
It's larger message can all seem a bit forced fed, self-indulgent and even cloying if you choose to see it in that unashamedly sparkled gothic guise however, I left feeling that by end its message worked in a celebration of life to be chosen and not to forget.
Raise a glass...

Derren Brown Showman is sitting on Channel 4's site.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

View attachment 1878387
Derren Brown's Showman is quite the emotional rollercoaster. It has all the expected trickery, amazement and shocked-to-laughter moments we've become used to but here plays deep into something of an open vein for many, namely loss, that is far from over after COVID's reaper was set loose in havoc. However, Brown's message is one of unity in life but also at it's end and, the importance of not letting those that are still here slip from your phone or calendar's attention.
The show is clearly very personal in detail, design and its push toward the similarities we share in wishes and wants in life, the regrets at not pursuing them and the people within them before it's too late or otherwise, all we're left with is those unfulfilled endings from which Derren makes use of the most popular quotes from the dying projected onstage. For Brown himself, he keeps citing that his father couldn't be there due to a prior engagement but keeps dropping in nuggets of yesteryear when the two enjoyed this or that or, would of liked to have but failed to venture down the path of open emotion as much as he'd of preferred.
Of course, all that emotion is professionally draped in an, albeit, none-to-subtle showman-esque style, as it's blended in with the mentalist stunts of memory recall (see oddly serendipitously, or perhaps not for her, actor Cush Jumbo plucked from the audience), put to sleep and then unconsciously 'trained' in number prediction. Audience members brought upon stage to, alternately, forget their name and a number to much hilarity. An audience member given a card to hold and secure but then for it to keep going walkabout to the same destination (will all the audience notice?). An emotionally charged and quite wonderful father and son moment with a bear - no, really. Items of memorabilia explained as to who they formerly belonged but more importantly who they were given to and their significance. And, a goldfish that may finally have made it...
Derren Brown's ability to mentally manipulate vast numbers of people into not seeing the, at times, clearly visible is quite astounding, their reactions priceless and were this near any other century, the man would be toasty hot for all the wrong reasons.
It's larger message can all seem a bit forced fed, self-indulgent and even cloying if you choose to see it in that unashamedly sparkled gothic guise however, I left feeling that by end its message worked in a celebration of life to be chosen and not to forget.
Raise a glass...

Derren Brown Showman is sitting on Channel 4's site.

Does he mentally manipulate people or is it just standard magician misdirection? He seems to have fallen out of popularity while making it look as if by his own design. Anyway glad you enjoyed it.

 

[encaser]

Does he mentally manipulate people or is it just standard magician misdirection? He seems to have fallen out of popularity while making it look as if by his own design. Anyway glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers.
I'm not a huge fan of magicians by any extent and tend to avoid them with a passion.
I think he does both distract and mentalist stuff. The 'subjects' would have to be under his whatever it is and there were so many audience members who 'blanked out' a young woman walking around, when he made a hard point of it, it's difficult to believe at least some weren't mentally shifted somehow. If you check out the Showman on C4 and skip to the young woman and card in the box trick you'll see (or not!) it's hard to explain any other way.
The perhaps oddest thing is the venue, as it all gets very American at times in the importance for emotion sharing and the grand finale but then I guess he wanted to keep it personal and felt an English audience would empathise with that English/UK withholding of emotion (stiff upper lip) for others which can cost us dearly when it matters and lead to protracted times of lament.

 

[wolfie138]

saw this live, great show as always.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Cheers.
I'm not a huge fan of magicians by any extent and tend to avoid them with a passion.
I think he does both distract and mentalist stuff. The 'subjects' would have to be under his whatever it is and there were so many audience members who 'blanked out' a young woman walking around, when he made a hard point of it, it's difficult to believe at least some weren't mentally shifted somehow. If you check out the Showman on C4 and skip to the young woman and card in the box trick you'll see (or not!) it's hard to explain any other way.
The perhaps oddest thing is the venue, as it all gets very American at times in the importance for emotion sharing and the grand finale but then I guess he wanted to keep it personal and felt an English audience would empathise with that English/UK withholding of emotion (stiff upper lip) for others which can cost us dearly when it matters and lead to protracted times of lament.

I wasn't able to watch it. I can believe in hypnotizing people.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

I was able to watch a clip of Showman on youtube about the partners and their annoying habits, that I do believe that was sleight of hand, not psychological observation on Darren's part.