Apollo theatre, London
Prophecies are impossibly fulfilled by the superstar who takes his cue from the legendary French seer in his show Only Human

Do we have free will – or are the words I am about to write, the four stars twinkling atop this review, pre-ordained? That’s the stuff Derren Brown conjures with in his new show Only Human, which takes its inspiration from Nostradamus’s ability to foresee the future. Nostradamus used divination techniques – and so Brown engineers a stunt in which his audience, en masse, dowse a waterway in the building next door. Nostradamus had a near-death experience – and so, in one remarkable sequence, Brown orchestrates something similar for a hypnotised member of his crowd.

This of course is territory Brown has always made his own: strip away the free will rhetoric and Nostradamus folderol, and artful dodger Derren stands revealed, doing the same mentalism and mesmerism tricks as ever. By the interval (and acknowledging that we’ve been spoiled by his jaw-dropping back catalogue), this current collection of stunts doesn’t feel all that high-powered. Predicting an audience member’s yes/no answers to a series of questions is amazing, yes, but low stakes. And that water divination set-piece misfires: only one of his three selected dowsers is up to the task, and the venue’s seating is too cramped for the mass mobility the routine requires.

Plays about political extremes, religious sects, swimming the Channel and an 80th birthday party are among the highlights at this summer’s arts spectacular

Producer Francesca Moody has shown a sure touch for spotting fringe hits (Fleabag and Baby Reindeer among them). Her new offering, by Australia’s Hannah Reilly, is about a feminist podcaster who becomes an online “slutfluencer” to earn some easy money, but has a price to pay.
Summerhall, 6-31 August

Stew Peas focuses on obeah, an enduring African magic practice in Jamaica banned by colonisers in the 1700s

A new movie from award-winning Jamaican film-maker Sosiessia Nixon shines a spotlight on Jamaica’s enduring west African-based magic and spiritual healing tradition known as obeah.

Nixon’s tense, feature-length suspense, Stew Peas, tells of the story of Jamaican detective Tessa, who is obsessed with an old murder case.

• Suns have lost 10 consecutive playoff games

• Pistons in 3-1 hole against Magic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and eight assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off a first-round playoff sweep with a 131-122 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

Lawyers for magician, who plans to unveil new project, said in 2024 he was ‘at most acquaintances’ with Epstein

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David Copperfield has announced that he is performing his last show at MGM Grand in Las Vegas next month, an announcement that comes weeks after documents released in the Epstein files revealed new details about how the FBI viewed the illusionist’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.

The announcement that the 69-year-old illusionist’s last show would be held on 30 April appears to have been made suddenly. In a statement praising and thanking Copperfield for his 25-year stint at MGM, the company said in a statement that it would automatically refund tickets for shows that were booked after that date.

A magician reveals his visual tricks

Earlier today I posted five optical illusions by Olivier Redon, a French-American inventor. Here they are again – with demonstrations of how he created the effects.

Three of the images are inspired by the Necker cube, a two-dimensional drawing of a cube that can be understood in two ways: either with the bottom left face at the front, or the top right face at the front. Once your eyes settle on one interpretation, it is hard to see the other.

The magical art of Olivier Redon

Look at the Coca-Cola can in the main image.

It is not a can, but an optical illusion – a trick of perspective. Can you work out what is going on?

A 2007 FBI memo said further investigation was needed to determine if they ‘engaged in referring possible victims to each other’. Copperfield has never been charged with illegal conduct and has denied any wrongdoing

FBI agents investigating David Copperfield in 2007 said that “a clear connection” existed between the famous illusionist and Jeffrey Epstein, according to documents released by the Department of Justice last week in the latest tranche of the Epstein files.

A 2007 FBI memo by agents in Seattle said further investigation of this “connection” was needed to “to determine if they [Copperfield and Epstein] both shared a predilection for minors” and “if they engaged in referring possible victims to each other”.

• Heckle comes during rendition of Star-Spangled Banner

• US president has threatened tariffs on European nations

Mounting tensions between Europe and the United States moved into the sporting arena on Sunday when a member of the crowd shouted “Leave Greenland alone” as the US national anthem was sung during an NBA game in London.

Actor Vanessa Williams was performing the Star-Spangled Banner before the Memphis Grizzlies faced the Orlando Magic at the O2 Arena when she was interrupted by the heckle. The intervention drew a round of applause and cheers from sections of the crowd.

He stole our hearts in The Celebrity Traitors – then it all went wrong. The actor and comedian opens up

When I catch up with Nick Mohammed, he is on the set of War, a new HBO series. Full of legal eagles, tech-bro hot shots and ugly divorces, it’s a punchy, slick enterprise, nothing at all like The Celebrity Traitors – except for the high drama, unbearable tension and the fact that Mohammed is reunited with Celia Imrie. Traitors was filmed in April and May and this started in September, so they both knew exactly what had happened in the castle, but were still in their chamber of deadly secrecy. Mainly, Mohammed was happy just to kick about with Imrie again. “She’s wonderful,” he says. “Everything you think she might be, she absolutely is – she’s just brilliant.”

Which brings us to the root of the problem, the answer to the question: “What the hell happened, Nick?” Spoiler alert: we intend to talk about exactly what went down in the most infuriating Traitors final since, well, the last non-celebrity Traitors. If Joe Marler had had his way, he and Nick would have sauntered to victory, Alan Carr’s magisterial fibbing finally unmasked. Instead, Nick’s niggling doubts brought down the ship.