Derren Brown: Only Human at Apollo Theatre Review

Reviews

22 Oct

There’s something rather peculiar about being asked to review a show when, for a considerable portion of it, you were apparently somewhere else entirely. In my case, travelling through time and waking up in a hospital. At least, that’s what Derren Brown would have me believe.

Having attended the press night of Only Human at the Apollo Theatre, I find myself in the rather unusual position of reviewing a production in which I unexpectedly became part of the entertainment. And while most critics can confidently recount what unfolded before them, I must admit that a significant chunk of my evening remains something of a mystery.

Then again, perhaps that’s rather the point.

Returning to the West End following a UK tour, Brown once again demonstrates why he remains in a league of his own. Part psychological experiment, part theatrical spectacle, Only Human explores the wonderfully uncomfortable question of just how much control we really have over our own minds.

Brown is, unsurprisingly, a masterful showman. His delivery is effortlessly assured, balancing dry humour with an almost unnerving authority. He can have an entire auditorium roaring with laughter one moment and sitting in absolute silence the next. What makes him particularly compelling is that he rarely appears to be trying very hard. There’s no excessive theatrical bravado, just a remarkably charming man in a suit who somehow knows considerably more than he ought to.

The evening examines free will, suggestion and our extraordinary capacity to convince ourselves of things that may or may not be true. There are fascinating diversions into prophecy and human behaviour, although occasionally the philosophical groundwork feels a little laboured. At nearly three hours, the production could benefit from some tightening, particularly when Brown’s more elaborate explanations threaten to outstay their welcome.

Nevertheless, the theatrical craftsmanship is exceptional. Simon Higlett’s imposing set, complemented by Simon Wainwright’s video design, creates an environment that feels simultaneously intimate and unsettling. Charlie Morgan Jones’ lighting and Beth Duke’s sound design deserve particular recognition for their ability to transform the atmosphere with remarkable precision.

And then, of course, there was my own unexpected contribution.

Without betraying the secrets Brown understandably asks audiences to preserve, I can say that being subjected to his hypnotic influence is an experience unlike anything I’ve encountered in a theatre. One moment I was watching the performance; the next, my understanding of time and circumstance had become decidedly unreliable.

What makes this particularly fascinating is the strange contradiction of being both a participant and an observer of your own experience. I can describe how it felt, but explaining precisely what happened is another matter entirely. Somewhere between surrendering control and questioning whether I ever possessed it, Brown had rather successfully made his point.

I’m therefore relying on the reactions of those around me to judge portions of the production I cannot properly account for. Not exactly ideal circumstances for a theatre critic, although admittedly excellent material for a review.

For all its elaborate illusions, Only Human succeeds because its greatest spectacle isn't necessarily Brown himself, but the people sitting opposite him. Our willingness to believe, our susceptibility to suggestion and our endless fascination with the inexplicable are what make the evening so absorbing.

Is it occasionally overlong? Certainly. Does every sequence justify its considerable build-up? Perhaps not. But few performers can make an audience question their own perception quite so entertainingly.

I entered the Apollo expecting to watch Derren Brown manipulate the human mind. I left wondering what on earth mine had been doing for the past hour.

And frankly, four stars seems entirely reasonable for an evening I can't fully remember.

Derren Brown: Only Human runs at Apollo Theatre until 30th January 2027

★★★★

Written by Liam Arnold for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.

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