I never imagined, when I set off to Llandudno last Thursday evening to see Derren Brown’s latest offering ‘Svengali’ that I would be inspired to use it as the subject for my Blog but what I witnessed on that evening was so much more than a mystical, magical, marvel.
The ticket was part of a combined birthday treat for my mother and my husband and I was fortunate enough to be roped in as chauffeur for the evening. Lucky me!
As we sat waiting for the show to commence the atmosphere in the theatre was, literally, electric. Not simply because of the noise and excitement that was clearly evident in the audience but because of the very real anticipation that we were about to be part of something amazing. We weren’t disappointed.
Whilst I fully accept that we were a self selecting group, nothing had prepared me for just how ‘up for it’, all 1500 members of the audience would turn out to be. Nor for how beautifully crafted the entire show was.
Regardless of his almost undetectable distraction techniques, the over stated, yet effective, auto suggestion and the genius slight of hand tricks Derren Brown is surely one of the most accomplished public speakers, I have ever seen in action.
Those of you who know me will know of the pleasure I take from observing any type of speaking and presentation technique and my constant scrutinisation for what makes the difference between average and amazing. Well Derren is most certainly at the amazing end of the scale and this is why.
In my previous Blog Post http://www.salt-solutions.co.uk/2011/10/17/curtain-call/ I listed 5 tips to help you deliver the best presentation you can so I thought I would use these tips to assess just how exceptional Mr Brown is.
Don’t Speak, Talk
Derren is clearly very comfortable in his own skin ( if he isn’t he has mastered the art of fakery in more ways than one). His natural style is one of enthusiasm and certainty but with an unfaltering eye on entertainment. Whilst there is little doubt that his act is almost certainly 100% scripted, it is delivered with the utmost spontaneity and in a totally relaxed and genuine manner. He makes his audience feel that every word, throw away remark and spontaneous quip is totally improvised. That takes immense skill and requires the speaker to be absolutely ‘au fait’ with their subject. In Derren’s case even the slightest omission or addition could change the magic of the moment.
Dress Code
This is a difficult one because, on a large stage, with a large audience you can really push the boundaries of fashion. Derren, however, managed to meet the brief by wearing a suit like combination, which undoubtedly made him smarter than the vast majority of his audience. However, he then ‘rang the changes’ during the evening by removing his jacket, changing his jacket and, at one point, donning a full flowing gown. Apart from anything, this will have helped, not only to set the tone for each section of the performance but serve also, to keep us engaged. Especially the VISUAL amongst us.
Don’t Tell Jokes
Hmmm, tricky one. Jokes per say weren’t present but there were some hugely funny, classic comedy moments. I have to admit to having a fit of the giggles when Derren said he needed Annette on stage and the proceeded to bring a net onto the stage. I know, I know. The say small things, please small minds and it REALLY pleased mine. As well as the occasional Christmas cracker type of funny there were many supposedly ‘throw away’ comedic quips to entertain and these consistently raised more than just a titter. More importantly perhaps, they always raised a titter at ‘just the right moment’. From a man for whom timing is absolutely key, injecting the occasional use of humour at precisely the right time, is bound to be effective and quite probably necessary to divert attention in some way. And it did.
It’s Theatre Dahling
Oh yes, theatre it was and nothing less. On an amazing set, precisely lit with just the right amount of dry ice to create atmosphere, Derren Brown cast his spells like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia and worked the audience to perfection. We were eating out of the palm of his hand and desperate for more, more, more. From the pre performance announcements, to the locked doors and the music. From the excellent use of spotlights to the clever roving cameras. From use of the big screen to audience participation we were, without doubt, part of a fantastic work of theatre dahling.
Listening Styles
The show absolutely incorporated something for everyone, regardless of their listening style. Brown played to each of the styles with perfection. For those who are VISUAL, there was plenty of opportunity for close ups of his stage work and, of course, the overall picture of the stage. For the AUDITORY there was plenty of mood music, explanations of what was happening with clear details of the processes behind the ‘tricks’, and for the KINESTHETIC there was plenty of audience participation both individually and collectively.
So, as you can see, I was most impressed with the entire evening. Of course, I know none of what Derren Brown does is what it appears to be but, for me, in that theatre, on that evening, it didn’t take much to suspend disbelief and enjoy one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen.
Remaining dates for Derren’s Svengali Tour can be found here…http://derrenbrown.co.uk/tour-dates/svengali/ get along and experience it for yourself.
