A unique take on the world of Sherlock Holmes awaits Colchester theatre goers next week.

It’s the new show from Todd Landman, who has developed the format along with Sheffield-based mindreader Paul Voodini.

Students at Essex University will know him as Professor Todd Landman, director of the Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution at the Wivenhoe Park campus and an acknowledged expert on human rights.

But by night Landman has carved out an interesting sideline as a mind-reading magician.

Landman arrived at Essex University from Philadelphia University, in the USA, 18 years ago, but while he has only just started performing shows, his interest in magic dates back to the early Seventies, when illusionists were often big stars with highly-rated TV shows.

He has performed a number of shows at the Headgate Theatre, in Colchester, the first of which, in 2009, combined the scholastic notions of philosophy and the human spirit involved in his day job with the mystery of stage magic.

Using Sherlock Holmes creator Conan Doyle as their muse, Todd and Paul look at the concept of the unknown through statistics and probability, alienism and psychological profiling, the power of heirlooms, past life regression, and spiritualism.

As in the past, the show’s set is dripping in Victoriana and includes music and images alongside the performances. Dr Todd says: “Mentalism has a long tradition going back to Egyptian times, but its modern-day basis is from the Victorian era.

“I love all that Victorian stuff and one of the things I decided to work on is the fact Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes as a deceptionist.

“It’s an interesting premise, but it is well known Conan Doyle was into that.”

The Edge of the Unknown, Headgate Theatre, Chapel Street, North, Colchester.

May 11. 7.30pm.

£10, £8 concessions.

01206 366000 www.headgatetheatre.co.uk