“Derren Brown is passing the baton and also widening his reach. That’s an immediate explanation for his latest West End show ’Unbelievable’, in which the superstar mentalist proves that his gasp-inducing assemblage of tricks can indeed be taught.”
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“There is clearly an incredible amount of talent in the cast; with no real leading roles, many are given an opportunity to show off their skills, celebrating traditional methods of sleight of hand, mind-reading and illusion.”
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“Brown’s aura hovers over this evening like a sliver of old-school Victorian ectoplasm as a troupe of actors and musicians lead us through a series of routines that are agreeable enough but ultimately leave you feeling you have just watched a cruise show entertainment rather than a fully fledged West End spectacle.”
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“Derren Brown is heavily associated with it in its publicity...But it was conceived by O’Connor, and Brown doesn’t appear. It feels as if he is there in spirit, at times – you hear the cadences of his speech in the performers’ patter, a hint of his blend of gentleness, teasing wit and mesmeric authority. Yet without him, the evening lacks unity, personality and tension.”
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“ ‘Unbelievable’ is a great show in itself - the way it attempts to do something new with the genre and bring different elements in is admirable and works for the most part. However, at times not all of these ideas paid off as seamlessly as hoped, leaving a show that can be wildly inconsistent.”
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“There’s probably enough humour, glitz and moments of sheer wonder here to make audiences feel like they’ve got their money’s worth. Meandering but entertaining, and, I suspect, a solid commercial hit.”
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“What ‘Unbelievable’ really needs is a presence like [Derren Brown's] on stage; a ringmaster, someone with that overwhelming charisma to make us believe that what we’re seeing really is unbelievable.”
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"Brown’s novel adventure in magic-by-proxy offers plenty to enjoy, then, even if it’s never quite as astounding as when he performs the tricks himself."
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