“An enthrallingly baffling one-mentalist show…Mr. Brown segues, with an Astaire-like grace, into more elaborate and improbable ruses. And he is upfront in telling you they are ruses. It’s in the second act that he seems to be plunging into the deepest recesses of his victims’ — I mean, volunteers’ — thoughts, with results that have you slapping your forehead…Throughout, Mr. Brown is calm, chatty, amiably insulting.”
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“It will be hard not to be at least a bit bowled over by ‘Secret’…Brown oozes confidence and charisma, the kind you don't quite trust but can't turn away from nonetheless…It's a combination of jaw-dropping ‘How did he do that?’ moments and inspirational speeches that veer dangerously close to the litanies of motivational speakers…What transpires in 'Secret' is enough to make even the most hardened skeptic think twice.”
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“An ex-lawyer and Olivier Award-winning mentalist whose sole purpose is to astonish, and perhaps scare the crap out of, you…The technique is to do everything possible to unnerve you by appearing to remove any possibility of audience plants while unlocking secrets of the mind with the same triumphal glee that an escape artist shows when emerging from a skein of solid steel chains and unbreachable locks. If you need to know how it’s done, you have my deepest sympathy.”
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“Brown dumbfounds with a stunning colonnade of tricks, physical and psychological, limned by the sensation of third-rail danger…Brown is also acutely aware that his gifts of seduction and sleight of hand are used by con men for much less entertainment-related activities…He aims to prove the allure of chicanery by exhilarating the audience with its power…A thrilling spectacle. Especially for the die-hard doubters in the crowd, ‘Secret’ is real magic.”
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“An astounding piece of psychological theater, and not knowing anything about it makes the experience all the more mind-blowing…The first-act finale is as thrilling and mind-boggling as any of the great curtain-closers from the entire canon of American drama…Like all great illusionists, Brown is the perfect salesman…The two-and-a-half hours of ‘Secret’ fly by…It is bound to make audiences want to see it again, if only to pay attention to different moments."
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“An entertainment that I thoroughly enjoyed...In his offhand wit and remarkable ability at coaxing behaviors out of audience members -- all while seemingly doing nothing -- he is very much a talent of today…We've been getting a lot of magic shows lately, but Derren Brown makes the others look like pikers. He practices the greatest disappearing act of all, dispelling the audience's skepticism with a wave of his hand.”
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“Brown makes brilliant use of a bag of tricks similar to what most such performers employ…Brown is definitely a master showman. He's congenial and funny. He's ironic but not judgmental…What makes mentalists' shows so interesting is their unique combination of surprise and predictability. Often we know exactly what's going to happen. But sometimes we are totally blown away. And there is nothing more delightful than being converted into believers despite our better judgment.”
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“It quickly becomes apparent that Brown is a master at reading body language--no less than facial and vocal expressions--to manipulate the many audience-members who participate and to read their inner thoughts. Brown's patter is also built on an almost glib sort of false modesty, such as his saying, near the end, ‘This only works because we are story-focusing creatures.’...he knows just exactly how to get us all to see only what he wants us to.”
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