South Holland Centre presents Andrew Newton – The Hypnotist Live! who starred alongside Countdown’s Carol Vorderman and visits Spalding for the first time with inventive and intelligent show

A hypnotist who gets audience members to perform stand-up live on stage will be bringing his show to a town’s theatre.

Andrew Newton – The Hypnotist Live! is coming to the South Holland Centre, Spalding, with a production described as ‘inventive and intelligent.’

With 40 years of experience in hypnosis and hypnotherapy the performer, who starred with Countdown’s Carol Vorderman on ITV’s The Andrew Newton Hypnotic Experience in 1992, will make his debut visit to Spalding.

Mr Newton said: “I performed at Skegness 43 years ago but I’ve never been back.

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“This will be my first time in Spalding.”

He says he has hypnotised more than 62,000 people worldwide and had more than 6000 public and TV appearances.

In the UK, he has sold out some of Britain's major theatres, including the Manchester Apollo, Edinburgh Playhouse and Liverpool Empire.

At the world famous Leeds City Varieties, he has performed a record-breaking 340 shows.

So what can the Spalding audience expect?

Mr Newton, who is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, said: “A lot of people will think – does he make you run like a chicken on stage?

“We all used to do that and some hypnotists still do, as it is easy stuff.

“I am not doing any of that sort of stuff. I do five minutes of silliness. That's what people expect – just to prove that everybody really is hypnotised.

“My modus operandi is to turn them into stand up comedians - I give them the material and subject matter. It's hilarious, it's brilliant.”

Working as a hypnotherapist the performer has many strings to his bow.

He lives in North Wales and is the deputy conductor and lists his comedy influences as John Cleese from Fawlty Towers.

He said: “I am a bit sarcastic - the oboe player refuses to come to rehearsals.

“I love Basil Fawlty - he is me, cynical. I don't believe a word anyone says.”

But he insists that the humour comes from the audience and individuals who volunteer to go on stage.

He said: “It is what they come out with - it's hysterical .

“Getting them to use their heads and to describe things and situations that we have all been in at some time – people are naturally imaginative.

“The hypnosis itself gives them the confidence to explore crazy ideas.”

He explains the difference between a show in a pub or club to that in a theatre such as the South Holland Centre.

He said: “It's really funny because it is all spontaneous - I plan the format - these are the routines - but I listen to the audience a lot.

“I did six months of working men's clubs in the 1980s and it's not the same.

“If you have a captive audience in the theatre I can pace it and control it and all audiences are different.”

Andrew Newton – The Hypnotist Live! is on at the South Holland Centre on Friday, March 8 at 7.30pm.

Will you be daring enough to get on stage and be hypnotised? Post your comments below.