THE last time Derren Brown spoke to The Sentinel, he had just finished filming Russian Roulette for Channel 4.

The TV special, screened in 2003, took the familiar 'magician dices with death' set-up to a whole new level.

In it, a randomly picked volunteer loaded a handgun with a real bullet. Using his famed 'mind-reading' powers, Brown put the revolver to his own head as he tried to guess which chamber held the ammunition.

And although the stunt brought him plenty of media attention, he still did not believe he was a household name just yet.

"I do not think you can ever consider yourself a celebrity," he said at the time.

"It is a difficult thing. There are people that love the show and it's amazingly flattering that they are excited to meet me and talk to me.

"I can be in situations like that. But, equally, I'm hardly a household name. You can't think about it too much or you would lose your mind."

Whether or not this was indeed to be the event that seared him into the public consciousness, or if his claim was a flash of false modesty, the master illusionist is certainly known to millions now.

His reputation as Britain's answer to the showmanship of David Blaine has grown rapidly. And, like Blaine, he delivers spectacle in abundance.

But there's no claim to magic in the traditional pulling rabbits out of a hat sense. Rather, the uniqueness of Brown's act lies in the psychological.

He's an illusionist, and a very clever one at that. In short, he would be the nightmare opponent in a poker game, although rumours that he's banned from every casino in the country are grossly exaggerated.

Not only has he since made more programmes in a similar vein to Russian Roulette – variously predicting the Lottery numbers live on television, devising a fool-proof formula on how to win at the races, and re-enacting a séance – he's written a book and has recently taken part in three documentaries on the paranormal.

His stage shows are equally successful. In fact, Enigma, which is at The Regent Theatre in Hanley later this month, has played to packed theatres across the land and he has even picked up an Olivier nomination along the way.

"I don't like to reveal exactly what's in the show," says the 39-year-old. "I ask the audience and press to keep it quiet because it's all about keeping it as a surprise for everyone else who comes to see it.

"But it's a lot more fun and funny than the stuff you see on TV."

Speaking to him, you get a sneaking suspicion that theatre is ultimately his preferred medium.

"The trouble with the TV is that you have an idea but it's a long process, something like eight or nine months down the line" he says.

"It's exciting in some ways, but you come up against so many frustrations. David Blaine had predicted Lottery numbers before, but all of a sudden it became this huge thing. It was everywhere and it sounds like I'm being disingenuous but it wasn't a big publicity stunt.

"It's different to when I'm on the stage, where you spend a couple of months coming up with an idea, rehearsing it and then going out and doing it.

"I'm on the road with my best friends. And then there's the immediate reaction you get from a theatre audience which you just don't get on television."

He's certainly come a long way since his days studying law at university. It was as a student that he came across hypnotist Martin Taylor. Brown was instantly hooked.

"He was so great that I became resolved – that was what I wanted to do," says Derren. "I developed an hypnosis act, which was pretty terrible, and after I graduated I performed magic tricks in bars and restaurants and occasionally hypnosis too. It was always the psychological aspect that interested me, rather than sleight of hand.

"I started out as a firm, committed Christian when I was younger. As I started to come out of that belief, I developed a real interest in how we end up believing things when there's no evidence for it other than the simple fact we already believe in it. Then we look out for things that confirm it.

"I knew that I'd done that with my own religious belief. I like to find out how things are done and then replicate it – I was the kid who loved to take toys apart when he was little."

Derren Brown: Enigma is at The Regent Theatre from Monday, May 17 until Wednesday, May 19 at 7.30pm. Call 0844 871 7627 for tickets.