"I AM often dishonest in my techniques but I'm always honest about my dishonesty."

So says master of mind control Derren Brown of his unique brand of psychological magic and showmanship.

Born in Croydon in 1971, he traces his interest in the field back to childhood, but it was only later at Bristol University, where he studied law and German, that he started to take it seriously.

After graduating, Derren abandoned a career in law and concentrated on developing his skills at psychological magic.

"I was watching Martin Taylor, a stage hypnotist up in the Avon Gorge room, one night in Bristol while I was at University. After the show I was rather obsessed with learning how to do it," he says.

"Knowing that Martin also worked as a magician, and given that I had owned a few tricks when I was a kid, I bought myself a big bumper magic book one day while mooching around Bristol. And it built from there."

From little acorns...

But don't be fooled by the word "magic". Derren Brown ensures there is no mystery to his "tricks" by explaining the majority of them to his audience.

Using a mixture of manipulation, suggestion and reading a person's visual clues, Brown continues to astonish, amuse and amaze.

"It really started as a fascination with how we can be manipulated," he explains.

"Then, when I worked as a sleight-of-hand magician, I became more interested in the psychological techniques and presentations than, say, simply the card tricks.

"The more I performed and experimented with things which interested me, the more I came to slowly carve out my own particular way of doing things."

It has certainly served him well. Several highly rated TV shows and specials for Channel 4 have been followed by a clutch of sell-out theatre tours, the latest of which brings him to Poole's Lighthouse for two nights on Friday and Saturday (March 28-29).

Given his deep understanding of human behaviour, and seemingly endless powers of concentration, is there any highly developed skill Derren wishes he had been born with?

"Maybe genuine psychic ability. It would make things a lot easier. Failing that, I'd like to speak a vast number of languages fluently so that I can enjoy travelling more."

Always one to push back the boundaries of showmanship and magic entertainment, Derren caused an international furore when more than three million people watched him play Russian roulette on national TV in October, 2003.

It did wonders for his popularity - some 10 million saw him on the National TV Awards the following month.

His 2004 show proved just as controversial when, using Victorian techniques, he conducted a séance with surprising results.

He then took a darker turn, bemusing the nation with Derren Brown: Messiah, a more personal documentary that questioned the way we buy into certain belief systems.

Clearly, he's not like most of us. So, what would be an average day in the life of Derren Brown?

"I get up late, mooch around in my dressing-gown for a bit and then work from 10 to five or so on ideas for the TV show with a friend or co-writer or two.

"This normally happens at home. After that, normal things. I'll watch a DVD, send some emails or go out for dinner. I tend to paint at weekends - that's a hobby I really enjoy. I paint portraits with a caricature twist. Might be something to fall back on one day."

Some people are nervous of magicians and the trade they ply - even labelling it supernatural and not to be toyed with.

"It's easy to explain why someone might not like it. It can be poorly presented, surrounded by naffness, and often amounts to little more than childish attempts to fool you.

"I guess it's largely to escape those associations that I've gone down the route I have."

And what of the future?

"I don't really make plans. I just try and make sure I'm enjoying what I'm doing and that good times and good friends are in place.

"I'm hoping to travel more. I don't get much in the way of holidays, but spending time abroad in exquisite cities is something I really enjoy when I can."