Derren Brown - do you believe?

[Newportnobby]

Finally got round to watching Derren Brown's Svengali yesterday, and I have to say I find his stage shows riveting TV and quite gobsmacking. However, there's always something in the back of my mind that says what he does is impossible and there has to be a stooge (or more) in the audience despite the denials.

Anyone else got any views

[Pengi]

I have not seen this programme but I have been to one of his shows years ago. Before he did the show, he got the audience to do a number of simple 'tests' (to show whether they would be a good subject). Those that 'passed' were then invited on stage where he whittled it down further. Finally he had those that he thought were suitable and who were were willing to undergo hypnosis/mind techniques. They were not stooges as I knew one of the ones that went on stage.

I got through the first round of tests but did not want to be a subject on stage.

[Agrippa]

He is a very skilful and entertaining performer, though I never
believed the people in the audience who participated were
genuine members of the public, however Pengy states that
they are.

When he did the lottery numbers trick I thought it
a funny that he didn't reveal his prediction until
after the numbers were drawn!

[cudders]

Some peple are very suseptible to these kind of things. Easy to get them into a trance..

Rest is just the same as any magician..not real...If he was he would have won the lottery every week etc etc..

Cudders

[Pengi]

As Cudders says, the key is having people that are willing to participate. I have a DVD of some of his early stuff which includes the Archway 'trick' where he 'persuades' people that they have forgotten where their tube stop is. On the DVD he explains how he does part of the 'tricks' and he also shows people where the 'trick' has not worked.

Derren Brown has worked very hard to attain his level of competence. He trains his mind to remember masses of information, uses language precisely and he is extremely observant and can pick up visual and audio clues that most of us would miss. I have done some training in this sort of stuff  (not for stage work) so can appreciate what he is doing - although I am a million miles away from his level of competence. Some advertising uses a form of hypnosis and there are selling techniques that use it too.

I have not been so interested in some of his more 'glitzy' TV stuff over the past few years though so can't really comment on that.

[Bikeracer]

I miss Sooty.

Allan

[Malc]

Not Darren Brown, but some interesting tricks nevertheless :- http://www.safeshare.tv/w/gdhRWNSrls

[Newportnobby]

I miss Sooty.

Allan

We'll Sweep that under the carpet because you didn't put your hand up..........

[Sprintex]

Personally I don't class some wally that makes a living out of making others look stupid as an 'entertainer'. In fact the whole magic thing leaves me cold, it's all plain deception of some kind and it's like being at primary school again - "I know something you don't and I'm not gonna tell ya"


Paul

[trainsdownunder]

I miss Sooty.

Allan

We'll Sweep that under the carpet because you didn't put your hand up..........

I still miss Soo