performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to commYet what’s refreshing about Brown is his open and honest approach to what he does. He cheerfully reveals that he can’t read people’s minds or commune with the afterlife – his skill is to make it look like he can.

His most recent TV programme Derren Brown: The Heist was the most ambitious and challenging of Derren’s specials to date. It’s a look at what little it takes to cross into deviant behaviour and a masterclass in persuasion. Under the guise of a motivational seminar and a follow-up documentary, Derren set out to persuade a group of responsible, middle-management businessmen and women to steal ?100.000 in an armed robbery.

Talking to Derren is a weird and wonderful experience. We are not sure whether the questions we asked him are our original questions, or those that Derren subliminally made us ask... His most recent work has really got people talking, and love him or hate him you have to admire the skill and grace in which he performs.

Born in Croydon in 1971, Derren traces his interest in psychological techniques to childhood. “I was a very good liar and a revoltingly charming child”, he says. Like a lot of solitary children he developed an interest in magic but it was only later at Bristol University, where he studied Law and German that he started to take it seriously. “I found myself developing an analytical mind-set, able to spot the loopholes in anyone’s argument very quickly”. After graduating, Derren abandoned a career in Law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic. He was able to pay the bills by combining performing in cafes and bars with a sideline in portraiture.

So what is the label Derren would put upon his skils? Derren doesn’t consider himself a “Mentalist”. “I do not restrict myself to mindreading effects when I am performing in the real world. Enough magicians have asked me about the wisdom of combining magic and mindreading in performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to commu

nd a follow-up documentary, Derren set out to persuade a group of responsible, middle-management businessmen and women to steal ?100.000 in an armed robbery.

Talking to Derren is a weird and wonderful experience. We are not sure whether the questions we asked him are our original questions, or those that Derren subliminally made us ask... His most recent work has really got people talking, and love him or hate him you have to admire the skill and grace in which he performs.

Born in Croydon in 1971, Derren traces his interest in psychological techniques to childhood. “I was a very good liar and a revoltingly charming child”, he says. Like a lot of solitary children he developed an interest in magic but it was only later at Bristol University, where he studied Law and German that he started to take it seriously. “I found myself developing an analytical mind-set, able to spot the loopholes in anyone’s argument very quickly”. After graduating, Derren abandoned a career in Law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic. He was able to pay the bills by combining performing in cafes and bars with a sideline in portraiture.

So what is the label Derren would put upon his skils? Derren doesn’t consider himself a “Mentalist”. “I do not restrict myself to mindreading effects when I am performing in the real world. Enough magicians have asked me about the wisdom of combining magic and mindreading in performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to comm

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Born in Croydon in 1971, Derren traces his interest in psychological techniques to childhood. “I was a very good liar and a revoltingly charming child”, he says. Like a lot of solitary children he developed an interest in magic but it was only later at Bristol University, where he studied Law and German that he started to take it seriously. “I found myself developing an analytical mind-set, able to spot the loopholes in anyone’s argument very quickly”. After graduating, Derren abandoned a career in Law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic. He was able to pay the bills by combining performing in cafes and bars with a sideline in portraiture.

So what is the label Derren would put upon his skils? Derren doesn’t consider himself a “Mentalist”. “I do not restrict myself to mindreading effects when I am performing in the real world. Enough magicians have asked me about the wisdom of combining magic and mindreading in performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to comm

rren abandoned a career in Law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic. He was able to pay the bills by combining performing in cafes and bars with a sideline in portraiture.

So what is the label Derren would put upon his skils? Derren doesn’t consider himself a “Mentalist”. “I do not restrict myself to mindreading effects when I am performing in the real world. Enough magicians have asked me about the wisdom of combining magic and mindreading in performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to comm

performance. No lay participant in my effects has ever queried this. If I explain my thoughts here, I will be able to express a few points that I find important. They begin with the old worry about mentalists’ disclaimers and the ethics of psychic performances. I have an interest in suggestion and what gets labelled ‘hypnosis’. I work to combine magic and mindreading with ‘hypnosis’ to create something new and powerful. Because this is a keen interest of mine, I tend to communicate it in my performances. I find that most intelligent spectators are more interested in the psychological techniques than the sleight-of-hand.”

Derren kicked off 2006 with his most ambitious and controversial special to date – DERREN BROWN: THE HEIST, which, once again, baffled and astonished both the press and public alike.

Those who watched the show know exactly what happened but how did he come up with idea in the first place? “As ever, these things come about by thinking what I’d personally like to see on TV. I’m finally having my TV removed and replaced by a tropical fish tank, which I hope will provide more interesting viewing. I’ve also always had a vague distaste for the cult of selfishness apotheosised through self-help seminars, which form the starting point for the show.”

Derren was pleased with the reaction he got from his show and said “The show was very well received. I felt it was the best thing I’d done so far, and the only one of the Specials to be entirely honest and open. The reaction I was most concerned about was that of the guys who actually went through with the robbery. It was very important to me that they were comfortable with their involvement and with the final edit of the show once it was all assembled (in terms of its accuracy and so on). I had them come along to the screening before it was broadcast and they were really happy with it. That did mean a lot to me.” Some quarters found it offensive, a large number of BBNLP / GONLP members have commented on the shows ethics but Derren doesn’t seem worried about the controversy that sometimes surrounds his work. He takes it as “a signal that I must be doing something right.”

We asked about some of the controversial moments in the live show Derren is bringing back on tour. What reactions did he get to them last time round? “There are a couple of moments in the show which sometimes cause a strong r