Derren Brown: Only Human Run Time, Age Limit and What to Expect

Last updated: 25 September 2026.

Derren Brown: Only Human at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue runs for approximately 2 hours 25 minutes, including one interval. It is not suitable for children under 12, under-15s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over sitting next to them, and audience members may be filmed by the production. The West End run is from Saturday 10 October 2026 to Saturday 30 January 2027.

This guide covers the practical questions only. The content of Only Human remains tightly under wraps, and nothing below describes what happens on stage.

What is the run time of Derren Brown: Only Human?

The run time of Derren Brown: Only Human is approximately 2 hours 25 minutes, including one interval, at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. That is the figure for the West End run from 10 October 2026 to 30 January 2027. Timings reported during the earlier Only Human UK and Ireland tour were longer, so plan around the London figure.

Is there an interval?

Yes. Derren Brown: Only Human at the Apollo Theatre has one interval, and the approximate 2 hours 25 minutes running time already includes it. When you book dinner or plan the journey home, work from the full running time rather than from a fixed break.

What time does Derren Brown: Only Human finish?

Working from the running time and the published start times, Derren Brown: Only Human finishes at roughly these times. Live shows vary a little from night to night, so treat them as a guide.

• A 7.30pm evening performance finishes at roughly 9.55pm.
• The Saturday 2.30pm matinee finishes at roughly 4.55pm.
• The Sunday 3pm performance finishes at roughly 5.25pm.

What are the performance times at the Apollo Theatre?

Derren Brown: Only Human plays the Apollo Theatre six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday, with no Monday performances. Evening performances start at 7.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday, Saturday adds a 2.30pm matinee, and Sunday has a single performance at 3pm. The table below shows the standard week.

One date differs from the weekly pattern: the press night, on Wednesday 21 October 2026, starts earlier, at 7pm.

This guide does not list performance times between 21 December 2026 and 3 January 2027, so confirm them before planning an evening over Christmas or New Year.

What is the age limit for Derren Brown: Only Human?

Derren Brown: Only Human is not suitable for children under 12. Young people aged 12 to 14 can attend, but every under-15 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over, seated next to them. In practice, a family group needs an adult in the seat beside each under-15.

Is it an age rating?

No. The 12+ figure for Derren Brown: Only Human is age guidance from the production and the theatre, not a rating, certificate or classification. Nothing further is published about the content, and no other content warnings are listed for the run.

Will I be filmed or asked to take part?

Audience members may be filmed by the production when they attend Derren Brown: Only Human at the Apollo Theatre. If you would rather not appear on camera, it is worth knowing before you go. Anyone hosting a group should pass the filming notice on to every guest in advance.

Audience members also take part in the show. How that works is not covered here, to keep the evening free of spoilers.

Can you take photos at Derren Brown: Only Human?

Not during the performance. Photography, filming and audio recording are not allowed during the performance of Derren Brown: Only Human at the Apollo Theatre. Photos in the foyer or auditorium before the show begins are fine.

What is Derren Brown: Only Human about?

Derren Brown: Only Human is described on the official London site as "mind-reading, psychological illusion, and breathtaking storytelling". It is written by Derren Brown, Andrew O'Connor and Stephen Long, and directed by Andrew O'Connor. The content remains tightly under wraps, so this guide stops at that description.

The West End run at the Apollo Theatre follows the Only Human UK and Ireland tour, which ran from April 2025 to August 2026. It is also Derren Brown's return to the same theatre: his previous West End season, Showman, played the Apollo Theatre from December 2022 to March 2023.

Are there accessible performances of Only Human?

Yes. Derren Brown: Only Human has two access performances scheduled at the Apollo Theatre in December 2026: a British Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday 11 December 2026 at 7.30pm and an audio described performance on Friday 18 December 2026 at 7.30pm. Both are regular evening performances in the West End run.

Inside the building, wheelchair users reach the Stalls by a platform stair lift, and that level has two wheelchair spaces and a fully adapted unisex toilet. The Apollo Theatre has four levels, the Stalls, Dress Circle, Grand Circle and Balcony, and the three above the Stalls have no step-free route, so anyone who cannot manage stairs should plan on the Stalls. The theatre also has a hearing assistance system, and assistance dogs are welcome. Our Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue venue guide has more on the building.

Is Derren Brown: Only Human worth seeing?

In our view, Derren Brown: Only Human suits people who want an evening of "mind-reading, psychological illusion, and breathtaking storytelling", as the official London site puts it, in which audience members take part. Derren Brown is a two-time Olivier Award winner, for Something Wicked This Way Comes in 2006 and Svengali in 2012, from five nominations in all. Groups of curious friends are an obvious fit, as are teenagers aged 12 to 14 with an adult aged 18 or over beside them. So is a group of colleagues, once their host has told them about the filming.

Two groups should think twice. Audience members may be filmed by the production, which matters to anyone who would rather stay off camera, and families with children under 12 will need another show. At approximately 2 hours 25 minutes including one interval, the evening also takes a little planning around dinner and the journey home.

How do you get to Only Human at the Apollo Theatre?

Piccadilly Circus station, on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines, is the nearest Tube for Derren Brown: Only Human, about 250m from the Apollo Theatre at 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7EZ. Leicester Square station is also close, and for national rail, Charing Cross is about 800m away. The theatre opened in February 1901 and is a Grade II listed building. For more on the theatre itself, see our Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue page.

A few house rules are worth knowing before the evening. There is no formal dress code, so wear whatever is comfortable. Only food and drink bought at the theatre may be consumed there, although sealed bottles of water are allowed. Latecomers may be admitted when a suitable break in the performance occurs, but admission cannot always be guaranteed.

For dates and notes on planning a group evening, see Derren Brown: Only Human at the Apollo Theatre. The Only Human UK and Ireland tour ended in August 2026, and no dates after 30 January 2027 were announced on his official website or the official London show site when checked on 25 September 2026. For his wider stage and screen career, see Derren Brown's live shows and tour history.