SEEING really is believing when it concerns Mission Impossible star Steven Frayne - aka Dynamo.

The famous magician/illusionist who has astounded on-lookers by walking down the side of the LA Times building and walking across the River Thames is heading out on his first live tour will be at the Bournemouth International Centre from Wednesday, February 10 - Sunday, February 14.

Surprisingly, it was being bullied at school that prompted Yorkshire born Dynamo to discover his incredible skills as an illusionist.

But he also has his grandad to thank for this.

The 32-year-old grew up on a tough housing estate in Bradford and says that as a thin, sickly child who suffered with Crohns disease, he was targeted by bullies.

“I was an easy target at school for getting picked on. My granddad used to do loads of magic tricks and had crazy skills. One day he saw me get thrown in a wheelie bin and pushed down a hill, so he taught me this technique where I stuck to the ground so they couldn’t pick me up and put me in the bin anymore. I thought he was just trying to trick me; but when I tried it at school the next day, they couldn’t move me.

And that was the first time I ever did magic; not to perform but to save myself from being bullied.”

Today Dynamo has built up a huge following using social media and counts David Beckham, Will Smith, Jay Z and Sir Paul McCartney amongst his fans.

And yet he was something of a loner growing up and dropped out of college to go travelling around America where he would perform his street magic.

He added: “In America, I was with my grandma and her 19 awardwinning Golden Retrievers... that was a different type of tour. My grandparents would tour all over the country doing these dog shows and in the day time I would help them with grooming the dogs and getting them ready for the shows. In the evenings, I’d perform magic at the dog show after parties... yes, they exist! I’d earn tips and my grandma would also give me pocket money for performing. We travelled to places like Vegas and New Orleans where I got to see street magicians and proper magic shows for the first time, it really opened my eyes to the possibility that I could make a living doing this. “ Dynamo claims he no longer feels any pain and, to prove the point, demonstrated this by contorting his little finger back on itself and rotating it within the joint!

But he trains every day to perfect his act.

“Usually I train from 8am, and then I go to the venue and do some on stage training. After that I’d have another training session at about 6pm. Generally, even when I’m watching TV I’ve got a pack of cards in my hand, so it’s become like second nature. But I always have Bessie, my dog, at every rehearsal with me.”

Asked whether he would call himself a magician or an illusionist he says: “I’m Dynamo; I try to create my own thing. Illusionists are the ‘Vegas’ type magicians with the big boxes and the show girls; it’s like the old Hollywood glitz and glamour style of magic. It’s cool but it’s not really my style. A magician is someone who can make you suspend your disbelief by showing you something that seems absolutely real even though you know it’s physically not possible. But what I do is blend in elements of dance and entertainment with my magic.

I’ve taken inspiration from people like Michael Jackson and Kanye West and even actors like Kevin Spacey- if you’ve ever seen him do a monologue... its incredible! So I studied a lot of his stuff when I was putting this show together as it’s the first time I’ve ever had to speak on stage and it’s really scary.”

Whilst he devises his own act he calls on some help from some very useful friends: “With a lot of my magic; that’s usually me and some magician friends getting together and saying “Guys do you think I could do this...?” Sometimes they say yes but other times they look at me like I’m insane!” He added: “The show has been a year in the making and it’s already been a crazy journey, I hope everyone gets to see it and loves it as much as I do.”

n For more information please call BH Live Tickets on 0844 576 3000†, book online at www.bhlivetickets.

co.uk.