When I first was allocated my tickets to see Derren Brown's Showman at the Orchard Theatre, I'm not even sure anyone had heard of the word "pandemic".

They were mine at the start of 2020, but then they got rolled over to another year, as theatres struggled to survive amid enforced closures, and then another year, writes Angela Cole.

When the date finally came around, I had almost forgotten I had them and wasn't even sure who I'd been due to take with me originally. Then it all started flooding back... a bit like a Derren Brown show.

I interviewed Derren Brown back in 2016, when he was promoting his show Happy, and it wasn't the Derren Brown I was expecting. I'd watched some of his TV shows, so thought I knew what to expect from Showman.

But I can honestly say about 95% of it was not what I was expecting. The content of Showman remains a closely-guarded secret, and so there's so much I want to say here but can't, or I'd be spoiling the show for others in the future.

What I can say is it will make you laugh, gasp - even scream in places - and, slightly unexpectedly, cry.

It will also amaze and captivate you and, I can wholeheartedly say, it did both of these to us to such an extent, that as we made our way to the car park after the show, we did it in silence, as all of us were still reeling.

But most of all it will leave you with an uplifting feeling. And all of it was worth waiting for.