Illusionist Derren Brown to Premiere SECRET at Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company has announced the world premiere production of Olivier Award winner Derren Brown's new show Secret, written by Andy Nyman, Derren Brown and Andrew O'Connor, and directed by Andrew O'Connor and Andy Nyman.

Derren Brown: Secret is a brand new production from the acclaimed British performer and author who will make his American theatrical debut at Atlantic Theater Company. In the UK, Derren Brown's critically acclaimed shows have played sold out runs in the West End and been awarded two Olivier Awards.

Be part of the startling world of mind-reading, suggestion and psychological illusion at the hands of UK phenomenon, Derren Brown. This spellbinding theatrical experience challenges us - in the most jaw-dropping way - to take a closer look at the stories and beliefs that guide our lives.

Derren Brown: Secret will begin previews Friday, April 21, officially open Tuesday, May 16 and play a limited engagement through Sunday, June 4, 2017, Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20 Street). Note: Secret is not suitable for children under 12.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Derren Brown (Performer, Writer). After abandoning a career in law to develop his skills at psychological magic, his big break came in 1999 when he was asked by Channel 4 to create the television show "Derren Brown: Mind Control," which was an immediate success when it aired in December 2000. Since then, on stage and television, he has exhilarated audiences world-wide with his unique brand of mind control, suggestion, showmanship and illusion. Having redefined the genre of magic, Derren has become synonymous with the art of psychological manipulation and his television shows have become must-see events, for which he has gained a reputation as a performer prepared to constantly challenge and break down boundaries. He has garnered rave reviews and coveted awards, including the 2012 BAFTA for Best Entertainment for "Derren Brown: The Experiments." His legendary specials include "Russian Roulette," "Seance," "The Heist," "Hero at 30,000 Feet," "How to Predict the Lottery" and "Apocalypse." He has convinced a man to assassinate Stephen Fry and stuck viewers to their sofas through their television sets. Recently in "Pushed To The Edge," he revealed the psychological secrets of obedience and social compliance with extraordinary results, once again creating passionate debate within the media and dividing opinion up and down the country. His live shows have won him two prestigious Olivier Awards for Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) and Svengali (2012), and numerous nominations. He has played to sold-out houses across the country every year since 2003. His two most recent shows, Infamous, (2013, 2014) and Miracle (2015, 2016) have toured to great success and critical acclaim. He has also received praise for his best-selling books, Derren Brown: Tricks of the Mind and Derren Brown: Confessions of a Conjuror, which have sold over 700,000 copies worldwide. His third book, Happy, made the Top 10 Best Seller's list and further cemented his reputation as a highly distinctive writer. Derren also enjoys considerable success as an artist. His book Portraits offers a collection of his painted caricatures of famous faces. Since then he has moved into highly accomplished 'straight' portraits and street photography and been exhibited at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London. www.derrenbrown.co.uk | @derrenbrown

Andy Nyman (Co-writer, Co-director) is an award-winning actor, director and writer who has earned acclaim from both critics and audiences for his theatre, film and television work. He has collaborated with Derren for over 15 years, having co-written much of Derren's television and theatre work. Andy also co-wrote and directed most of Derren's theatre shows including Something Wicked This Way Comes, which won the Best Entertainment Olivier Award. As an actor, his most recent stage work includes Martin McDonagh's Hangmen in London's West End and Jamie Lloyd's revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory. On television he was most recently seen playing Winston Churchill in the BBC drama "Peaky Blinders" and starred in the BBC drama "The Eichmann Show." His many film credits include The Brother's Bloom and the hugely popular Death at a Funeral. This year he will be seen in cinemas in the new Liam Neeson thriller The Commuter. Andy has also just co-written and co-directed Ghost Stories, the film version of the hit play written by Andy and Jeremy Dyson, starring Andy and Martin Freeman that will be in cinemas in 2018.

ANDREW O'CONNOR (Co-director, Co-writer) began his career as a magician, standup comedian and actor in theater and television. Notable roles include Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl and the title role in Barnum. In 1997 he retired from performing to concentrate on writing, producing and directing. For television, he was the co-founder of Objective Productions which he ran from 1997-2015, during which he created and produced dozens of television series including "Peep Show" and the Derren Brown series and specials "Star Stories," "The Cube" and "Fresh Meat." His television shows have been nominated for 50 national and international awards and won 16 awards including 5 BAFTA awards. Theater directing credits include 42nd Street, The Odd Couple (female version NYT), The Nerd, Anything Goes and Derren Brown: Miracle. Andrew was the co-producer on all of Derren Brown's stage shows that have been nominated for four, and awarded two, Olivier Awards. Film - Director/Producer/co-writer: Magicians, which won best comedy at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and was nominated for a US BAFTA for Best British Comedy Film in 2008. Director/Producer/co-writer: Jerked, which was chosen to premiere at the SXSW film festival and will be released in 2017. Producer: That Awkward Moment.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is the award-winning Off-Broadway theater that produces great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble. Atlantic believes that the story of a play and the intent of its playwright are at the core of the creative process. The plays in the Atlantic repertory, from both new and established playwrights, are boldly interpreted by today's finest theater artists and resonate with contemporary audiences. Celebrating over 30 years of theater, Atlantic has produced more than 150 plays including Tony Award-winning productions of Spring Awakening (Steven Sater, Duncan Sheik) and The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Martin McDonagh); Pulitzer Prize recipientBetween Riverside and Crazy (Stephen Adly Guirgis); New York Drama Critics' Circle winner for Best New Play The Night Alive (Conor McPherson); world premieres of Tell Hector I Miss Him (Paola Lázaro); The Band's Visit (David Yazbek, Itamar Moses); Marie and Rosetta (George Brant); Hold on to Me Darling (Kenneth Lonergan); Guards at the Taj (Rajiv Joseph); Skeleton Crew (Dominique Morisseau); I'm Gonna Pray for You So Hard (Halley Feiffer);Posterity (Doug Wright); Found (Hunter Bell, Eli Bolin, Lee Overtree); Almost an Evening, Offices, Happy Hour and Women or Nothing (Ethan Coen);What Rhymes With America (Melissa James Gibson); 3 Kinds of Exile (John Guare); Storefront Church (John Patrick Shanley); Body Awareness (Annie Baker); revivals of Cloud Nine (Caryl Churchill) and Brecht and Weill's musical The Threepenny Opera directed by Martha Clarke; acclaimed productions of Bluebird and Harper Regan (Simon Stephens); Our New Girl (Nancy Harris); The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Alan Sillitoe, adapted by Roy Williams); The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Cripple of Inishmaan (Martin McDonagh); Pulitzer Prize finalist The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, The Jammer, and These Paper Bullets! (Rolin Jones); The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois and Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling (Adam Rapp); Through a Glass Darkly (Ingmar Bergman, adapted by Jenny Worton); Farragut North (Beau Willimon); Chimichangas and Zoloft (Fernanda Coppel); Blue/Orange(Joe Penhall); Port Authority and Dublin Carol (Conor McPherson); Writer's Block (Woody Allen); American Buffalo, Romance, and Edmond (David Mamet); The Cider House Rules, Part I (adapted by Peter Parnell); Good Television (Rod McLachlan); Celebration & The Room, The Collection & A Kind of Alaska and The Hothouse (Harold Pinter); Dying for It and Gabriel (Moira Buffini); Oohrah! (Bekah Brunstetter); Mojo, Parlour Song, and The Night Heron (Jez Butterworth); Boys' Life and The Lights (Howard Korder); Distant Fires (Kevin Heelan); The Lying Lesson and Missing Persons (Craig Lucas). Atlantic has garnered 12 Tony Awards, 19 Lucille Lortel Awards, 21 Obie Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, 6 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 3 Drama League Awards, 3 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. For tickets and more information, visit atlantictheater.org.

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