How does svengali automaton work

I was left with the rare experience of leaving a Derren Brown show a little unsatisfied. Derren Brown, Svengali — review. Shaftesbury, London. Missing a trick … Derren Brown in Svengali at the Shaftesbury theatre. Photograph: Tristram Kenton.

Definitely a super villain in the making. The show itself builds to the focal point, Svengali itself. I think we came up with the idea of an Asian orientated mystic with clairvoyant style abilities. However, according to Mr Brown, Svengali was originally an Eighteenth Century Automaton, a self contained mechanical doll created by an eccentric mourning his son. Obviously, giving details of the show is something of a no-no. It would be unfair to spoil the drama of the evening, even to so few readers, but suffice to say it was yet another eye opener.

The automaton itself was terrifying — like something from a porcelain doll nightmare. I have always had a little fear of such creatures as I am absolutely certain that they come to life at night preying for blood, each with their own set of perfectly formed razor sharp teeth.

This life size version was worse! So frightening. Not Svengali himself, and by no means as terrifying, but an Automaton all the same! Other than the scary monsters the show has its usual mind bending twists and turns which we have all come to know to the mad magician; a man shooting his wife and apparent demonic possession — your average Tuesday night I suppose! Plus plenty of audience participation which puts you on the edge of your seat, either for desperately wanting to go up or with anxiety NOT be next!

It was fabulous. Expensive, but well worth every penny apart from the pennies robbed from us by Ticketmaster. It was just as challenging on the old grey cells and left us just as speechless but there was an element of fun which was replaced with ominous dark. You would have thought that this would be more my cup of tea, but nothing can quite compare to ending to show with a silly sing song and confetti canons! Bravo Mr Brown!

After a couple of minutes the boy is brought back into the real world again and was simply speechless. He didn't know why he wrote the initials he did and he didn't really know what was going on.

Derren then asked him if he would mind him poking a needle through the upper side of his hand whilst in a trance and under the spell of svengali once again. The boy agrees and Derren continues by removing the hand from the doll and bringing it over to the boy.

He then tells the boy that his hand is just like the dolls hand; wooden and with no sense of feeling. Within seconds the boy has lost feeling in his hand and is happy for Derren to stick a needle right through the top. Derren does exactly that and the boy feels no pain whatsoever, and pushes it right through before removing the needle only for there to be no trace of blood.

The Svengali doll trick is a complete mystery. If you have any ideas of how he might have done it then please feel free to comment at the bottom of the page.

As well as the Svengali doll there was lots of other entertainment on show Derren Brown asked the audience to think of an embarressing moment that they would not want anyone to know about. He then randomly selects people from the audience to stand up and rushes a microphone over to them. As they stand there with their faces enlarged on the screen at the front of the stage, they are probably praying that Derren Brown doesn't disclose their most inner secrets - But as you have probably guessed, he does exactly that.

There was only lady who had poo'd in her shower and another woman who had stolen money from the church as a child to buy herself some sweets from the sweet shop.

To be honest it was actually quite an uncomfortable feeling for the audience, whereby you felt that he could pick on you and there was nothing you could do about it.

The show ends with a big bang whereby a series of balloons are shot out into the audience and then the birthday girl has to select three people to come on stage.

At this stage it is similar to other tricks that has performed before, and a series of numbers and events leads to a mind baffling finale. Do you think you know how Derren used the Svengali doll? Is it really magical and mind controlling or is it all a stunt with made up history and story telling designed to create an enigmatic atmosphere. You decide, and share your view with us at the bottom of the page. If you listen closely to the speech he gives.

He is using tonnnns of words starting with "D" ending with "S" Also starting with "S" Not only that but even words he chooses in his act have phonetic sounding to the "D" sound and "S" sound. Last thing he says "Svengali will you Do that for uS now.

I went to see Svengali in Newcastle. At the start of the Svengali trick itself, he does a full audience participation thing whereby he suggests to everyone, through various repeated images and sensations, that their hand and arm is like the wooden doll.

It worked on me, but not my wife. My hand was rigid, and moved as the doll's did. My muscles were so locked that it almost hurt and did so until he said that we were free. He walked around the audience and selected a guy to do the more gruesome stuff on. If it'd been me, or any other member of the affected audience, I reckon they would have been exactly the same. It really was proof for me that hypnosis works and could work to the degree needed to be able to do the pin prodding etc.

The idea of revealing another magician's trick makes me feel gross. Especially as Derren has helped me countless times. I suggest you look into John Nevil Maskelyne. J N Maskelyne used to perform this years ago though not for the tricks Derren does the automaton works the same way as JN's.

Secondly there wouldn't be blood if you use a thin needle like that, just suggest that there should be to make an audience feel there should be. I won't give you anymore information. But if you're willing to read up on JN Maskelyne you'll find out how a lot of Derrens tricks are done. Lozenge, during my high school years I used to stick safety pins into various parts of body, including the top of my hand.

Generally, the only pain was to the hand pushing the pin through dense layers of skin. There is little to no actual pain and little blood involved in a surface piercing. A small diameter beveled medical needle would slide into the skin with little resistance and virtually no pain.

This trick in Svengalli ruined the show for me because there was nothing mysterious about it. It seemed gimmicky in comparison to the other tricks that I find befuddling. After the trick, I tried pinching and twisting my own skin with equivalent force and experienced no pain either.

The initials came from the stamp on their hand he asked everyone to look at the beginning of the trick. That stamp was obviously put on everyone's hand as they came into the hall. Notice that he asks them to to look at the stamp, but its not revealed at any point, your meant to assume its the same stamp as the doll. Selecting a member of the audience, out of a group of over people, is just finding the most suggestible person at that moment.

The touching the doll that is felt by the subject is done through sound. The music being played in the background works on a repetitive cycle, as long as the last tone or key is different enough to register the restart of the cycle, the subject will naturally tune into the cycle and register the change.

Notice that he doesn't ask after the first touch ask where he's being touch, just whether he felt it.