Dynamo (magician)
Encyclopedia
Steven Frayne is an English magician
who performs under the stage-name of Dynamo.
culture into his magic routines. Frayne has Crohn's disease
.
, followed by a Channel 4
special Dynamo's Estate Of Mind. Frayne then released a DVD called Concrete Playground.
Dynamo has since appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
, Fatherhood and the MTV EMA's where he performed for The Foo Fighters, Nelly Furtado
and Joss Stone
. He has fronted commercials for Adidas
and Nokia
and appeared on the catwalk for Naomi Campbell
's Fashion For Relief.
In May 2009 Dynamo levitated Little Britain
comedian Matt Lucas
four feet off the ground in front of a crowd at the Emirates Stadium
in London. On Christmas Day 2009, Dynamo appeared on the Soccer AM
Christmas Special, and performed magic for the show's presenters Max Rushden
and Helen Chamberlain
, as well as fellow guests David Haye
and Neil Ruddock
.
On 19 March 2010, Dynamo appeared on BBC1 in aid of Sport Relief
where he turned signed lottery tickets
into cash in front of Robbie Williams
and Davina McCall
. Later in the show he performed a lean-back levitation in front of James Corden
and a live studio audience.
On 18 March 2011, Dynamo appeared in a small clip on BBC1 for Comic Relief
, highlighting the work that British Airways
had done in raising money.
On 25 June 2011 Dynamo was photographed apparently walking on water; crossing the River Thames
on foot in front of the Palace of Westminster
, to publicise his forthcoming series Dynamo: Magician Impossible
. This series featured guest appearances by Rio Ferdinand
, Ian Brown
, Noel Fielding
, David Haye
, Tinie Tempah
, Mat Horne, Travis Barker
, Natalie Imbruglia
and Robert Sheehan.
On the 23rd October 2011 Dynamo used Twitter to announce he was the newest Member of the exclusive magicians' society, The Magic Circle
.
On 24 October 2011, he appeared as a guest panellist on Never Mind The Buzzcocks
for Noel's team.
In November 2011, he appeared on the BBC's Young Apprentice, giving a prize performance in the London Eye for the winning team.
He also appeared on Children in Need
, performing magic for Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on the streets of Macclesfield.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
who performs under the stage-name of Dynamo.
Biography
Frayne grew up on Bradford's deprived Delph Hill Estate in the north of England. He first learned magic from his grandfather and developed it during trips to New Orleans. Wanting to innovate, Frayne combined elements of dance and hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
culture into his magic routines. Frayne has Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
.
Media appearances
His first TV appearances were on Richard & JudyRichard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
, followed by a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
special Dynamo's Estate Of Mind. Frayne then released a DVD called Concrete Playground.
Dynamo has since appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
, Fatherhood and the MTV EMA's where he performed for The Foo Fighters, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
and Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
. He has fronted commercials for Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
and Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
and appeared on the catwalk for Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
's Fashion For Relief.
In May 2009 Dynamo levitated Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
comedian Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
four feet off the ground in front of a crowd at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
in London. On Christmas Day 2009, Dynamo appeared on the Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
Christmas Special, and performed magic for the show's presenters Max Rushden
Max Rushden
Max Rushden is an English television presenter who replaced Andy Goldstein as a co-presenter of Saturday morning Sky Sports show Soccer AM alongside Helen Chamberlain from August 2008.- Career :...
and Helen Chamberlain
Helen Chamberlain
Helen Marie Chamberlain is an English television presenter.She previously worked as a holiday camp entertainer and Disc Jockey before working on a variety of radio and television programmes...
, as well as fellow guests David Haye
David Haye
David Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye...
and Neil Ruddock
Neil Ruddock
Neil "Razor" Ruddock is a retired English footballer, who played as a central defender.He made his debut at Millwall , and he had a long career playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and finally a short-lived spell as a player/coach at Swindon Town Neil...
.
On 19 March 2010, Dynamo appeared on BBC1 in aid of Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
where he turned signed lottery tickets
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
into cash in front of Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
and Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
. Later in the show he performed a lean-back levitation in front of James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
and a live studio audience.
On 18 March 2011, Dynamo appeared in a small clip on BBC1 for Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, highlighting the work that British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
had done in raising money.
On 25 June 2011 Dynamo was photographed apparently walking on water; crossing the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
on foot in front of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, to publicise his forthcoming series Dynamo: Magician Impossible
Dynamo: Magician Impossible
Magician Impossible is a fly-on-the-wall documentary that follows the life of magician, Steven Frayne. The 4 episode series was produced by Phil McIntyre Productions and Inner Circle Films for UKTV channel, Watch and Universal Networks International....
. This series featured guest appearances by Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
, Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
, David Haye
David Haye
David Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye...
, Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
, Mat Horne, Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
, Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
and Robert Sheehan.
On the 23rd October 2011 Dynamo used Twitter to announce he was the newest Member of the exclusive magicians' society, The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle
The Magic Circle is a British organisation, founded in London in 1905, dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of magic.- History :The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 after a meeting of 23 amateur and professional magicians at London's Pinoli's Restaurant...
.
On 24 October 2011, he appeared as a guest panellist on Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
for Noel's team.
In November 2011, he appeared on the BBC's Young Apprentice, giving a prize performance in the London Eye for the winning team.
He also appeared on Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
, performing magic for Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on the streets of Macclesfield.
Releases
- Dynamo's Underground Magic (DVD)
- Dynamo's Estate of Mind Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
- Dynamo's Concrete Playground (DVD) Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
- Dynamo: Magician Impossible (DVD)