MIND control, illusion, hypnotism, psychological brain games: magic's certainly moved on a step or two since Tommy Cooper hid ping-pong balls under his fez. And nowhere is this shift more stark than in the confusing world of Derren Brown. Nothing is quite as it appears.

Croydon-born Derren is a different kind of illusionist. It's not every magician that has to make explanatory follow-ups shows or set up phonelines to reassure concerned viewers.

Where he excels is in tricking our minds. His ability to read subtle changes in body language is getting his audiences into all sorts of scrapes - take the mock séance, where he caused a student to believe that a dead girl (who actually turned out to be alive) was talking through her, or the security van heist, where four of Derren's audience were tricked into performing a daring robbery (which, it turns out, was a set-up with an actor behind the wheel).

It's a brave man or woman, then, that buys a seat on the front row of his live show, which he brings to the Lowry on Thursday.

Derren Brown plays The Lowry from Thursday, May 3 until Saturday, May 5. £21.50. Call 0870 787 5780.