Master of mind control

When British journalists write about American 'mentalist' Marc Salem, comparisons are inevitably drawn to Derren Brown, that other 'mind reader' who did his bit to take the art beyond end-of-pier territory. Happily, Salem is not like Brown. There's no dark, tiresome, faux gravitas here. Put simply, Salem's schtick is more fun.

He's a draw, too. He has appeared off Broadway and at numerous Edinburgh festivals and this is the third time he's performed in London. Aside from his canny knack of guessing the number/shape/letter you're thinking of, he has three good things going for him.

The first is that he brings an academic background to the table, which makes his tricks much more believable. His years studying mental processes at universities in Pennsylvania and New York, a stint as research director for the company that made Sesame Street, plus work with the police have made him an expert in behavioural psychology and non-verbal communication (some instances of which you can spot, if you're sharp).

The second is his material, which ranges from the fun (how to spot someone lying) to the engagingly dangerous (he narrowly missed sticking his hand through an upturned knife) and the downright impressive (guessing the thoughts of audience members).

The last is his patter - the jokes are cheesy but he's charismatic and self-assured on stage, can laugh off any glitches and works an audience well.

But be warned: this show won't work without audience participation - and Salem casts his net wide. Don't go hoping to be overlooked.