Derren Brown: Archive
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From: Leanne
Date: Sun Apr 20, 2003 12:08am
Subject: interview/article
Found this interview on the net from the newcastle opera house site.
Sorry if you've all seen it before, but here it is anyway, enjoy!...
The Interview .......
In mediaeval times, Derren Brown would have been burned as a witch.
Today, he's given his own TV show, Derren Brown's Mind Control. Times
change, but the human tendency to be amazed, fascinated and terrified
by the seemingly inexplicable does not. And what Derren Brown does is
amazing, fascinating and occasionally terrifying, and utterly
inexplicable, whether he's reading minds, controlling people's
thoughts, or giving them toothache just by looking at them.
There is no name for what Derren does. Ask him to give it one, and he
can't. "It's not really a trade, as such. The thing people tend to
call me is a Psychological Illusionist, but I prefer to avoid labels
like that. I suppose I employ a variety of different techniques and
approaches to what I do, but it's mainly a mixture of hypnosis, magic
and the power of suggestion."
"I started studying as a hypnotist, doing bits of stage hypnosis and
also hypnotherapy. And from there, I began to drift into magic, with
a view to bringing the two together in an act. And I also started
developing peripheral psychological skills, which have ended up
becoming an integral part of what I do. But I don't believe it's a
natural talent or anything like that. It's all about working at it. I
suppose it's like playing the piano. You can't sit down and start
playing, and become a concert pianist within half an hour. Sure, you
need to be the right sort of person, but you also have to practise an
enormous amount to get there."
Derren's uncanny abilities include a jaw-dropping capacity to learn
an extraordinary amount just by looking at people. He can guess what
they do for a living, what they'd like to do, what they are thinking,
and when they are lying. It makes for great TV, but surely it must
make for a pretty traumatic personal life? "I kind of have to switch
it off, or I'd never have a normal relationship. It would be
disastrous to be constantly examining how people act, analysing their
behaviour patterns. Obviously, I absorb some of these skills at an
unconscious level, but on the whole, it's pretty easy not to apply
them. It's all about playing psychological games which take an
enormous amount of effort and planning, so while it may look
relatively simple, it's hard work. I couldn't do it all the time, and
I wouldn't want to."
"Obviously, sometimes with friends, having a knowledge of human
behaviour can be helpful. If I've got a friend who's upset or
depressed, I can hopefully be more effective than the next person at
helping them out. But that's the only time I'll use these things with
friends. It's what separates proper friends from other people – using
the techniques I do on the show just isn't relevant with them. You
know people on a different level. It wouldn't be appropriate.
Sometimes, when you're trying to get to know someone and eager to
find out about them, it might give you a little bit of added insight,
but when they become friends, you get beyond that stage."
Surely sometimes, though, there must be temptation to use his
abilities when he shouldn't? "There certainly were times in the past.
When I was starting out, I used some of the techniques like I was
playing with a new toy. I used to use them when I met women in
restaurants. Or I'd go into casinos and come out with pockets full of
money. But that's not the kind of thing I would do now. Priorities
change."
Of course, some people make better subjects than others, and Derren
works hard at analysing the people he is about to work with. "When I
meet guests for the show, I immediately build a rough psychological
profile of them. Obviously it's not a complete understanding of their
personality by any means, but it helps me to find triggers, to know
which buttons to press. It allows me to know how to worm my way into
their perceptions. Obviously, when I can, I pick those who will make
the best subjects."
"People who are very open to the whole idea, `responders', make very
good subjects. But interestingly, the ones who are even better are
the `challengers', those who push against the whole idea of what I
do, who are cynical and want to catch me out. Women tend to be more
open and interested in the whole thing, whereas men see it as
something of a competitive issue. What's important is that you adapt
your act to fit the subject in question. I always tailor my material
according to what kind of profile I put together on them."
"The worst people are those who are interested, but in a detached
way, who don't get emotionally hooked. Like me – I'd be absolutely
dreadful!"
