I went to see Derren Brown at Sunderland Empire and here's what I can and can't tell you

It can make writing a review of his Only Human Live show difficult, but here goes with a Spoiler-free take on a mind-blowing night of showmanship.

This was my third time seeing the master of psychological illusion live and I’ve never not left scratching my head, wondering just HOW does he do it.

And judging by the full house on the first of five nights at Sunderland Empire who he seemed to, yet again, have in the palm of his hand, they felt the same too.

His mind-boggling shows draw from a range of techniques, some dating back centuries, such as hypnosis, body language-reading, subliminal suggestion and good old magic, and it makes for a mesmerising watch as he casts his unique spell of theatre.

As the title of this show would suggest, it looks at human connections and then going beyond our regular senses to follow the path of our natural intuitive abilities, an amplification of our unconscious movements that, at one point, had large groups of people swaying as one.

Some of us are, of course, open to suggestion more than others and he has some clever tricks up his sleeve to pinpoint from the sea of people before him just who they are - it’s all part of the magic.

There were many willing participants on opening night who let their minds wander down this rabbit hole of wonder - at one point making a man believe he was in another room altogether while others had a nice little nap in the aisle.

During the interval, some people submitted photos of something personal to them and it’s worth doing so to see if he can tap into your human connection.

Indeed, as with all his shows, the audience are as much a part of the spectacle as Derren, submitting answers from prompts, some he may subtly lead you to give without you even realising, but others he just can’t predict (or can he), making each night a truly unique experience.

I was a big fan of his TV shows back in the early 2000s, but his unique brand of entertainment is one that really fits the intimacy and human collectiveness of the theatre.

The sceptic in you will have you doubting some of the more tenuous links - like a phone ringing becoming part of a prophecy and maybe some camera trickery going on - but it’s all very entertaining nonetheless, delivered by one of the most intelligent, witty and warm entertainers you’re ever likely to see on the Empire stage.

Roll up, roll up, The Greatest Showman is in town - just make sure to keep the magic alive and don’t tell anyone what you witness!

*Derren Brown Only Human Live is at Sunderland Empire until Saturday, August 2. Age guidance of 12+.