Steven Frayne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Frayne
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Frayne on stage in 2015
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Steven Frayne
17 December 1982 Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
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| Occupation | Magician |
| Years active | 2002–present |
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Steven Frayne (born 17 December 1982), known by his stage name Dynamo, is a famous British magician. He was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Dynamo's TV show Dynamo: Magician Impossible was very popular. It ran from July 2011 to September 2014. The show won the Best Entertainment Programme award in 2012 and 2013. Dynamo has performed magic all over the world. His Seeing Is Believing arena tour was seen by over 750,000 people. He performed in the UK, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.
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Becoming Dynamo
Steven Frayne got the name Dynamo in 2001. He was performing at a special event for Harry Houdini in New York. Other famous magicians like David Blaine and David Copperfield were there. Someone in the crowd was very impressed and shouted, "this kid is an effing dynamo!" The name stuck with him.
In 2003, Dynamo received help from the Prince's Trust. This allowed him to start his own business. He bought camera equipment to film his magic. In 2004, he moved to London to grow his magic career. He wanted to create the first "magic mix-tape." He filmed his tricks on the streets of London and backstage at events. He even impressed doormen to get into places. Within a year, he had filmed with stars like Coldplay, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Snoop Dogg. He shared these clips on YouTube, which helped him become well-known.
Dynamo's Magic Career
Dynamo first appeared on TV in 2002 on Channel 4's Richard & Judy. The TV bosses liked his magic. They asked him to make a documentary called Dynamo's Estate of Mind. This show followed Dynamo as he performed his tricks around London.
TV Shows
Dynamo: Magician Impossible
Dynamo: Magician Impossible was a documentary series about Dynamo's life. His own company, Inner Circle Films, produced it. The show was for UKTV and Universal Networks International. It reached over 30 million viewers in the UK. Worldwide, it was seen by over 250 million people in 193 countries.
The first series had four episodes. It aired from 7 July to 28 July 2011. To launch the show, Dynamo walked on water across the River Thames. He did this outside the Houses of Parliament. Many people gathered on Westminster Bridge to watch. This series was filmed in London, Miami, and Los Angeles. It had 6.69 million viewers in the UK. Because of its success, UKTV ordered a second and third series in 2012.
Series 2 started on 5 July 2012, also with four episodes. It had 7.67 million viewers in the UK. It won Best Entertainment Programme at the Broadcast Awards. It was also named Show of the Year at the Virgin Media awards. This series was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme.
In 2013, Dynamo traveled to New York City, Ibiza, South Africa, and London. He filmed content for the third series. The first episode, filmed in New York City, aired on 11 July 2013. It was watched by 1.35 million people. This series was also nominated for a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme.
A fourth and final series was made in 2014. It aired in September of that year. In this series, Dynamo performed street magic in California, India, Paris, London, Manchester, and Bradford. For the third year in a row, Dynamo: Magician Impossible was nominated for the BAFTA Best Entertainment Programme award.
Dynamo Revealed
On 19 December 2013, the Watch channel showed Dynamo Revealed. This documentary featured Dynamo talking about his journey. He shared how he grew from his humble beginnings in Bradford to become a famous magician.
Dynamo A–Z
In 2016, Watch created an hour-long special called Dynamo A–Z. In this show, Dynamo looked back at clips of his magic tricks. It was an alphabetical review of moments from Dynamo: Magician Impossible.
Dynamo Live at The O2
Dynamo also brought his live arena tour to TV. Dynamo Live at The O2 showed his biggest live magic performance in British history. The show was broadcast live across the UK on Watch.
Dynamo is Dead
Dynamo is Dead is a TV special from 2023. In it, Dynamo talked with celebrities about mental well-being. He shared his own struggles. Guests included Pete Davidson, Demi Lovato, and Dave Chapelle. Dynamo then performed a daring stunt: he was buried alive without a coffin for almost three minutes. This show was released on Sky TV in the UK and History TV 18 in India.
Miracles
Miracles is a 90-minute TV special. It aired on Sky Max on 19 December 2024. In this show, Dynamo performs street magic around England.
Other Media Appearances
Dynamo has appeared on many TV shows. These include Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and the MTV EMAs. He has also been in advertisements for brands like Adidas, Samsung, and Pepsi. He even walked the catwalk for Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief.
Dynamo often performs magic stunts with celebrities. In May 2009, he made comedian Matt Lucas float four feet off the ground. This happened in front of a crowd at the Emirates Stadium in London.
In 2013, Dynamo worked with Pepsi Max. He made it look like he was floating next to a London Bus. The bus was driving through Central London. This stunt got attention from news channels worldwide. Later that year, he worked with Mercedes-Benz. They created a video called Dynamo vs Coulthard, featuring Formula One driver David Coulthard.
In 2014, Dynamo worked with Hunter for London Fashion Week. He appeared to float. Then, he made models like Suki Waterhouse disappear. This happened in front of a crowd that included Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour.
In 2015, Dynamo helped Fiat launch the Fiat 500X. He made the car appear in a beam of light. This was for a live audience at the Copper Box Arena in London. This performance took three years of planning.
In March 2017, Dynamo worked with Betfair. He helped the FC Barcelona team bond with unusual training. He visited their training ground. He worked on visualization exercises with players like Luis Suárez and Gerard Piqué.
Dynamo has also made many appearances for charity. He has supported Comic Relief, Sport Relief, and Children in Need. In 2010, he appeared on BBC One's Sport Relief. He seemed to turn lottery tickets into cash for singer Robbie Williams. He also performed a levitation for comedian James Corden. The next year, he appeared on Comic Relief.
Dynamo has been on channels like ESPN and shows like the BBC's Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2013, he filmed with the pop band One Direction for 1D Day. He also opened the semi-final of Strictly Come Dancing with a magic and dance routine.
In February 2018, Dynamo appeared on Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour. In November that year, he performed for Prince Charles' 70th birthday. This was on ITV's We Are Most Amused and Amazed.
Live Tours
In 2014, Dynamo announced his first live tour, Seeing Is Believing. He wanted to create a new kind of live magic show. He hoped to reinvent live magic, just like he did for magic on TV.
Dynamo was first scheduled for 10 shows in the UK. But due to high demand, the tour grew to three years and 145 dates. He sold over 750,000 tickets. He filled arenas across the UK, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.
As part of the tour, Dynamo became the first magician to headline The O2 in London. He performed there three times. The final show was even broadcast live on TV.
Books
Dynamo has written several books. They are about his childhood, his personal story, and his love for magic. In 2013, he released his first book, Nothing Is Impossible: My Story. It became a Sunday Times Bestseller.
In 2017, Dynamo released Dynamo: The Book of Secrets. This book is a beginner's guide to modern magic. It has tips, tricks, and some of his secrets for new magicians. The Book of Secrets reached number 1 on The Guardian's Paperback non-fiction chart.
Helping Others
Dynamo has worked with several charities. He has performed magic for BBC's Children in Need, Comic Relief, and Sport Relief.
In 2016, Dynamo worked on a film for Theirworld. It was called Safe Schools: Children can no longer wait. In 2017, he became an ambassador for Theirworld. He has worked with them to help promote education for Syrian refugee children. He has traveled around the world and to the United Nations. There, he met world leaders to discuss ways to help Syrian refugees.
Personal Life
Steven Frayne was born in Bradford, England. His mother is English, and his father has Pakistani roots. He is the oldest of four children.
Dynamo grew up in an area called Delph Hill estate. He was bullied at school. His grandfather taught him a magic trick to make him seem heavier. This helped stop other children from picking him up. Dynamo supports Bradford City A.F.C., a local football team.
He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 17. This is a condition that affects the digestive system. In 2018, he shared a video about his struggles with the disease. He had severe arthritis, weight gain, and rashes after getting food poisoning in 2017.
In 2012, Dynamo married his partner, Kelly. They met at a music festival. They live in a Grade II listed cottage in Hampstead, north London.
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Dynamo was recognized by The Magic Circle. He was promoted to Associate of the Magic Circle for Performance. That same year, Dynamo: Magician Impossible won Best Entertainment Programme at the Broadcast Awards. It also won Show of the Year at the Virgin Media Awards. It was nominated for awards at the BAFTA TV Awards and the 17th National Television Awards.
In 2013, Dynamo received an honorary degree from Bradford University. This was for his dedication to Bradford and helping young people. He also received the Grolla d’Oro award at the Masters of Magic Convention in Turin.
In 2015, Dynamo won the AMA Magician of the Year award. This was at The Academy of Magical Arts 48th Annual Awards Show. He also became a Fellow of the academy. In 2016, he received The Magic Circle's Maskelyne Award. This award is given for contributions to British magic.
After series 2, Dynamo: Magician Impossible won the Broadcast Award again in 2013. Dynamo also won TV Show of the Year at the Virgin Media Awards. He was nominated for Best Entertainment Programme at the BAFTA TV Awards.
In 2014, Dynamo: Magician Impossible was nominated for Best Entertainment Programme. This was at both the BAFTA TV Awards and the Televisual Bulldog Awards.
Dynamo was listed in Forbes' list of The World's Highest-Paid Magicians in 2016 and 2017.
Releases
- Dynamo's Underground Magic (DVD)
- Dynamo's Estate of Mind (Channel 4)
- Dynamo's Concrete Playground (DVD) [2006]
- Dynamo: Magician Impossible (Series 1, 2, 3, 4) (DVD/Blu-ray)
- Dynamo Beyond Belief (Sky One)
- Dynamo is Dead
See also
In Spanish: Dynamo (ilusionista) para niños
