Derren Brown

Derren Brown is an English mentalist, illusionist and writer who was born in London in 1971. He began performing in 1992 while a student at the University of Bristol and made his television debut with Mind Control in 2000. He calls himself a psychological illusionist, and his stage and television work mixes magic, misdirection, hypnosis, suggestion and comedy, often turning the techniques of faith healers and mediums back on themselves. His stage shows include Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) and Svengali (2012), the latter bringing him two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment, and The Experiments (2011) won a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme in 2012. He also set up Vaudeville Productions, whose first show was the special Pushed to the Edge, made his Broadway debut with Secret in 2019, and has written several books for magicians and for general readers.