Derren Brown – Bradford Alhambra

HE’S A MAGICIAN, a mentalist, a memory man, a mind-reader, a master of the hustle. But most of all Derren Brown is a showman.

Where other performers would be content to hone their skills in one field of magic, Brown is second-to-none in a full spectrum of mysterious arts.

In his fantastic new show at the Alhambra you witness examples of everything from traditional stage trickery and street magic to potentially dangerous stunts and modern-day mind manipulation.

The true marvel is how Brown blends all of this together in one astounding, gripping, non-stop, logic-defying, brain-bending, edge-of-your-seat show.

That’s where the showmanship comes in: Brown has charm, charisma, drive, imagination, and a persuasive tongue to rival Phineas T Barnum.

Some of his routines are new twists on old classics, others could only exist in the world he creates, and yet others you won’t even realise are tricks until the punchline hits you.

Punters and reviewers alike are asked not to reveal the contents of this latest show, so as not to spoil the surprise the future audiences.

Suffice to say, nothing is what it seems, absolutely everything is there for a reason, and whenever you think you’ve ‘got’ something, more than likely you haven’t!

As for the meaning of the title, Miracle: wait until the second half, a multi-layered exploration of how another kind of performer works his magic on the public.

I’m still wondering what was really going on with that light bulb...

• Until Saturday. Visit bradford-theatres.co.uk or call 01274 432000 to book tickets.

David Knights