Known as one of today’s most skilled mentalists, Derren Brown has shocked the world with his ability to manipulate people’s perceptions.
Over his career, Brown has produced numerous shows that have cemented his reputation as a master of psychological manipulation. From cold reading all the way to hypnotism, Brown has done it all!
Read on as we explore Derren Brown’s mentalism story and tricks!
Early Years
Born in London on February 27, 1971, Brown was the son of a swimming coach.
Unlike other famous mentalists, Brown was a bit of a late bloomer. He only became interested in mentalism after seeing Martin Taylor’s hypnotism act while studying at the University of Bristol.
After seeing Taylor, Brown realized that hypnotism and illusion were what he wanted to pursue, so he began to learn the techniques. Eventually, he became good at close-up tricks and even did a show at his university as Darren V. Brown.
After he became a skilled mentalist and hypnotist, Brown had a chance encounter with Jerry Sadowitz, who helped him get his debut television show, Mind Control. This show became the launchpad for Brown’s career, helping him gain recognition all over the world.
Mentalist and Celebrity
After Mind Control, Brown has launched 6 television series, 15 television specials, and 10 stage shows.
These performances have gained him multiple awards, including 2 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment Show. He officially has the most award nominations and wins for a one-person act in all of the world.
Some of his most notable performances include:
- Seance – a television special where he convinced 12 students they were in contact with a spirit.
- Something Wicked This Way Comes – a stage show that featured Brown’s face getting stamped in broken glass.
- The Heist – a television special where he used conditioning to convince 4 people to commit armed robbery.
- The Great Art Robbery – a television special where he convinced and taught a group of the elderly to steal an expensive painting.
- Pushed to the Edge – a television special where he used social coercion to convince Chris Kingston to push someone off a building.
After his first few shows with Objective Productions, Brown established Vaudeville Productions, which he now uses to produce all of his performances.
In 2009, Brown became a co-presenter for 2 series called The Science of Scams, which exposed how paranormal phenomena are typically faked, and The Science of Attraction, which explained the psychology behind attraction. Through these shows, Brown tried to further educate the public against scammers and manipulators.
Brown has also created materials to help budding magicians and mentalists, including The Derren Brown Lecture, a DVD on close-up mentalism and performance, and The Devil’s Picturebook, an instructional video that only magicians have access to.
And, as an influential celebrity, Brown has made appearances in films, including Medium Rare and Crooked House, as well as a television special Comedy Gala.
Debunker of Frauds
Throughout his career, Brown has made efforts to debunk frauds who claim to have paranormal powers.
Brown uses his platform to explain common tricks used to fool people, like in Miracle, a Netflix special where he performed faith healing stunts.
At the same time, Brown uses his shows to investigate paranormal claims, like on his television show Derren Brown Investigates.
Brown also takes part in productions that seek to expose frauds, including Richard Dawkins’ documentary, The Enemies of Reason. As an interviewed expert, Brown helped shed light on how mediums and telekinetics trick people into thinking they’re real.
Books and Other Creations
Over the years, Brown has written 6 books, including:
- Tricks of the Mind – a guide to reading body language and performing hypnosis.
- Confessions of a Conjuror – an autobiography of Brown’s experiences as a mentalist.
- Pure Effect – a guide to getting started in magic.
- Absolute Magic – a guide to making magic look convincing.
- Happy – a book that explores happiness, its history, and its philosophy.
- A Book of Secrets – an autobiographical guide to learning how to grow from sadness.
An artist with many interests, Brown published Portraits, a collection of his paintings, in 2009, and Meet the People with Love, a book of his street photography, in 2018.
Stepping out of traditional creative avenues, Brown also helped design a virtual reality amusement ride at Thorpe Park. Called “Derren Brown’s Ghost Train”, it features actors and holograms and is the park’s most expensive ride.
Tricks and Techniques
Brown often uses both sleight of hand and mentalism to pull off his tricks, along with a chatty style that keeps spectators on the edge of their seats.
Watch him as he shocks a crowd with a mentalist card trick!
Although many of Derren Brown’s tricks are either closely guarded secrets or elaborate setups, you can learn how to do a simpler version of the trick below!
Just follow these steps:
- Prepare the card of your choice (a 3 of diamonds in the video).
- Ask your spectator to think of a card.
- As you ask them, subtly form the shape of the card’s suit with your hands, or use a prop to signal it to them subconsciously.
- Then tell them to think of a lower-numbered card.
- As you tell them, subtly flash the number of your chosen card using your fingers, or yet another prop.
- If you are able to balance subtlety with clarity, their subconscious should imagine a card with your chosen suit and number.
This trick depends on many factors, including how open your spectator is to suggestions, but it’s a great way to practice your mentalism skills!
Conclusion
Derren Brown has quickly become one of the most well-known mentalists – and he’s still growing in popularity today!
Through his performances, Brown has shown us just how powerful mentalism can be, especially when paired with good showmanship.
Remember: mentalism is all about learning techniques and building your skills. Put in the work, and you’ll soon be able to impress those around you!
We hope that the story of Derren Brown has inspired you! Or if not, then at least helped you appreciate this fantastic mentalist even more.