Derren Brown The Showman At The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Review

Reviewed by Liz Squires

After over a decade of being an avid fan of Derren Brown and not managing to get to any of his shows, I was thrilled to see he was on the road again. Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity to see his latest tour “Showman” at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. It’s incredibly difficult to write a review about a show where I can’t give away any of the details of the content, but I will say this…

Derren Brown’s ability to hold a room of over 1500 people for nearly 3 hours, with a short 15 minute interval, using just his personality and charisma is second to none. He shares his vulnerability with us and lets us into his world. With this outstanding performance, Derren has the audience captivated and invested even before he sets foot on to the stage. His performance and personality, proved to meet every expectation I had of him, and I was not disappointed. The roller coaster of emotion that Derren takes the audience on is a mixture of: curiosity, sadness, empathy, relatedness and uncontrollable laughter, not to mention the mindboggling illusions leaving people baffled and full of wonder. Derren’s sense of humour and character eases participants and the audience, and lets them immerse themselves in the experience. The show is truly awe inspiring and left many of the audience opened mouthed and full of questions, which any good magic show should. Derren displays more than just magic in his performance, he captures the imagination of his audience and uses that to his advantage. With his mystical powers of mind control that we all know and love, Derren is ultimately the best in the business. Watching Derren perform can feel like time has paused and is passing you by without you even realsing it but rest assured you get that time back.

Participation in the show is voluntary and it’s advised that anyone who has a psychiatric diagnosis does not volunteer themselves for stage participation, but please trust me when I say, this does not affect the investment and involvement of the show in any way, nor does it hamper the overall experience. I would advise anyone with light sensitive epilepsy to check with the venue before attending this tour, as the lighting may be a trigger. “Showman” is undoubtedly the best live illusionist show I have seen to date and I highly recommend booking tickets, tickets are limited as many of the shows are understandably selling out.

This is my first time at the Alexandra and the venue is lovely, it’s a short walk away from a multitude of NCP carparks including New Street, Town Hall and Grand Central Station. I made the mistake of using the venue post code rather than directing myself to the nearest carpark which meant I got a little confused and lost, however, once I discovered the Town Hall Carpark it was easy to access and open 24 hours, costing £6 for 4 hours parking.

The covid measures in place are very thorough, you will need your covid pass, a negative PCR or evidence of vaccination before you can enter the building, a detail many people there seemed to be unaware of, despite the venue stating on an email that these were the measures being taken. Masks are to be worn inside the bar and foyer areas, and hand sanitiser is dotted all over the venue.

Toilets were clean and accessible from inside the theatre and there is a number of refreshment areas both upstairs and near the Stalls or order from your seat. Refreshment prices are fair for a theatre and in-line with what I would expect with 2 small pots of crisps a bottle of water and a bottle of fizzy pop costing £12.

Rating: 5/5

Showman is at the Alexandra, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham, B5 4DS From 26th October until 30th October, remaining tickets for the Alexandra show can be found here or call the box office on 03330 096 690.

His remaining tour dates and venues can be found here where you can purchase tickets directly.

Prices vary from £22.00 – £45.00 (plus £3.65 transaction fee)