If you have a story or a news related item please e-mail the editor at [email protected]
We try to keep the news as current as possible and generally this is the last piece we work on prior to the magazine going live.
Steven Frayne, known as Dynamo, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when he was 13-years- old – a condition causing inflammation to the stomach lining and leaves the street magician in constant pain.
The magician, who has entertained famous people from Jay Z to Prince Charles, had to have half his stomach removed following a burst abscess three years after he was diagnosed with the disease.
Following a life-saving operation as a teenager, the illusionist controls the incurable illness through diet and meditation.
He told the Mirror that he is now facing the prospect of wearing a colostomy bag. “Having Crohn’s is a trial but I am determined not to let it hold me back.
“If you’ve got Crohn’s then you just have to get on with it, deal with the negative things that come with it,
and not let it change the happiness in your life. You can’t help it; it’s what it is. “It’s more about affecting the comfort levels of your life. It can be incredibly restrictive, and I know some people with it who can’t even leave the house. And that is so sad.” The magician said that at one point in his teenage years he was advised that he may need a colostomy bag and it was only by luck that he didn’t.
He said: “One option is a colostomy bag but for many people it doesn’t seem like the nicest of ideas.
“There was a time my life when I had to have an operation and I nearly died in hospital, and one of the options was to give me a colostomy bag. I was only 18 and at that age it would have been awful, I couldn’t have got my head space around it, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
“Whereas now if it has to
happen, it has to happen. “And I might well need a bag one day.
Dynamo’s grandmother who also suffered from the often- hereditary disease was fitted with a colostomy bag. “My grandma’s got one and she’s the coolest person on the planet. It doesn’t affect the person, it just affects their life. I’m fine with it.”
The magician, who’s an ambassador for Ray of Sunshine – a charity that grants wishes to seriously ill children – also supports last year’s campaign to take away the stigma of colostomy bags.
The campaign featured girls in bikinis proudly displaying colostomy bags.
“At the end of the day, the
only reason people feel embarrassed is because society tells them ‘this is cool and that isn’t cool’”, he told the Mirror.
“But the minute people start just living, start being themselves and acknowledging that we all have problems, we all have difficulties, but this is what makes us so special. If well all conformed to the same thing, then life would be boring.
“If anything, I’m hoping that what I’m doing – going out and performing – will inspire people with the disease to go out and achieve their dreams too.”
Dyanmo is currently on tour in the UK and Ireland and his interactive Seeing Is Believing shows will finish up in Dublin in March.
He admits that touring has taken its toll on his wellbeing.
“I am absolutely loving the whole tour experience as it’s all new,” he told the paper. “But doing two hour shows means I am exerting so much energy and, for that, I need to fuel my body fuel to keep it going night after night. “Basically I have to make
sure I eat at least four hours before the show because any nearer it is highly likely I will need to go to the bathroom when I’m supposed to be on stage.
“And, obviously, going to the toilet sometimes can be quite an uncomfortable situation so I’ve had to restructure all my meal times which has been a bit of a pain.
“But I live with it, and there are ways of dealing with it, and although it’s been especially tricky on the tour, I am managing it.”
Crohn’s affects different people in different ways. It causes the sufferer difficulty in digesting food, and can also lead to fatigue, diarrhoea and anaemia. It can develop at any time, although most cases are diagnosed between the ages of 16 and 30.
Nearly 75 per cent of people with the disease require surgery but there is no cure and current treatment involves reducing inflammation and treating other symptoms. Source : http://www. independent.ie/life/health- wellbeing/health-features/ magic-wont-cure-me-tv- magician-dynamo-opens- up-about-his-battle-with- crohns-disease-34340578. html
Brown investigates the power of social compliance by “persuading an unwitting member of the public into believing that they have pushed someone to their death”.
What makes people susceptible to the kind of radicalisation which leads them to fight for Isis? Derren Brown, the “psychological illusionist”, promises to shed light on the phenomenon of extremist conversion, with a controversial new experiment exploring how charismatic individuals can ultimately persuade people to kill.
Famed for his large-scale stunts, the hypnotist and “mentalist” has previously used his powers to expose
Derren Brown’s new hit show “Pushed To The Edge.”
the “manipulative” art of faith-healing. He also sought to persuade a group of businessmen and women to take part in an armed robbery.
In his latest Channel 4 special, to be broadcast on 12 January, Brown investigates the power of social compliance by “persuading an unwitting member of the public into believing that they have pushed someone to their death”.
Viewers will see the results of an elaborate set-up, in which a subject’s susceptibility towards authority figures gradually transforms into compliance towards the most extreme requests. Brown’s underlying motive is political.
“It’s particularly relevant with our political situation, with people being radicalised into doing bad things, but it can also operate on a private, quiet level socially,” says Brown. “When we find ourselves in groups or with charismatic individuals, we might do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do.
“What the show asks is whether the mechanics of social compliance can be manipulated to push someone off a building to their death. Could it be taken that far?”
Brown explores why some people might be more
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Dynamo - “Magic Won’t cure me”
Dynamo reveals he has had Crohn’s Disease since he was 13-years-old
If you have a story or a news related item please e-mail the editor at [email protected]
We try to keep the news as current as possible and generally this is the last piece we work on prior to the magazine going live.
Steven Frayne, known as Dynamo, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when he was 13-years- old – a condition causing inflammation to the stomach lining and leaves the street magician in constant pain.
The magician, who has entertained famous people from Jay Z to Prince Charles, had to have half his stomach removed following a burst abscess three years after he was diagnosed with the disease.
Following a life-saving operation as a teenager, the illusionist controls the incurable illness through diet and meditation.
He told the Mirror that he is now facing the prospect of wearing a colostomy bag. “Having Crohn’s is a trial but I am determined not to let it hold me back.
“If you’ve got Crohn’s then you just have to get on with it, deal with the negative things that come with it,
and not let it change the happiness in your life. You can’t help it; it’s what it is. “It’s more about affecting the comfort levels of your life. It can be incredibly restrictive, and I know some people with it who can’t even leave the house. And that is so sad.” The magician said that at one point in his teenage years he was advised that he may need a colostomy bag and it was only by luck that he didn’t.
He said: “One option is a colostomy bag but for many people it doesn’t seem like the nicest of ideas.
“There was a time my life when I had to have an operation and I nearly died in hospital, and one of the options was to give me a colostomy bag. I was only 18 and at that age it would have been awful, I couldn’t have got my head space around it, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
“Whereas now if it has to
happen, it has to happen. “And I might well need a bag one day.
Dynamo’s grandmother who also suffered from the often- hereditary disease was fitted with a colostomy bag. “My grandma’s got one and she’s the coolest person on the planet. It doesn’t affect the person, it just affects their life. I’m fine with it.”
The magician, who’s an ambassador for Ray of Sunshine – a charity that grants wishes to seriously ill children – also supports last year’s campaign to take away the stigma of colostomy bags.
The campaign featured girls in bikinis proudly displaying colostomy bags.
“At the end of the day, the
only reason people feel embarrassed is because society tells them ‘this is cool and that isn’t cool’”, he told the Mirror.
“But the minute people start just living, start being themselves and acknowledging that we all have problems, we all have difficulties, but this is what makes us so special. If well all conformed to the same thing, then life would be boring.
“If anything, I’m hoping that what I’m doing – going out and performing – will inspire people with the disease to go out and achieve their dreams too.”
Dyanmo is currently on tour in the UK and Ireland and his interactive Seeing Is Believing shows will finish up in Dublin in March.
He admits that touring has taken its toll on his wellbeing.
“I am absolutely loving the whole tour experience as it’s all new,” he told the paper. “But doing two hour shows means I am exerting so much energy and, for that, I need to fuel my body fuel to keep it going night after night. “Basically I have to make
sure I eat at least four hours before the show because any nearer it is highly likely I will need to go to the bathroom when I’m supposed to be on stage.
“And, obviously, going to the toilet sometimes can be quite an uncomfortable situation so I’ve had to restructure all my meal times which has been a bit of a pain.
“But I live with it, and there are ways of dealing with it, and although it’s been especially tricky on the tour, I am managing it.”
Crohn’s affects different people in different ways. It causes the sufferer difficulty in digesting food, and can also lead to fatigue, diarrhoea and anaemia. It can develop at any time, although most cases are diagnosed between the ages of 16 and 30.
Nearly 75 per cent of people with the disease require surgery but there is no cure and current treatment involves reducing inflammation and treating other symptoms. Source : http://www. independent.ie/life/health- wellbeing/health-features/ magic-wont-cure-me-tv- magician-dynamo-opens- up-about-his-battle-with- crohns-disease-34340578. html
Brown investigates the power of social compliance by “persuading an unwitting member of the public into believing that they have pushed someone to their death”.
What makes people susceptible to the kind of radicalisation which leads them to fight for Isis? Derren Brown, the “psychological illusionist”, promises to shed light on the phenomenon of extremist conversion, with a controversial new experiment exploring how charismatic individuals can ultimately persuade people to kill.
Famed for his large-scale stunts, the hypnotist and “mentalist” has previously used his powers to expose
Derren Brown’s new hit show “Pushed To The Edge.”
the “manipulative” art of faith-healing. He also sought to persuade a group of businessmen and women to take part in an armed robbery.
In his latest Channel 4 special, to be broadcast on 12 January, Brown investigates the power of social compliance by “persuading an unwitting member of the public into believing that they have pushed someone to their death”.
Viewers will see the results of an elaborate set-up, in which a subject’s susceptibility towards authority figures gradually transforms into compliance towards the most extreme requests. Brown’s underlying motive is political.
“It’s particularly relevant with our political situation, with people being radicalised into doing bad things, but it can also operate on a private, quiet level socially,” says Brown. “When we find ourselves in groups or with charismatic individuals, we might do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do.
“What the show asks is whether the mechanics of social compliance can be manipulated to push someone off a building to their death. Could it be taken that far?”
Brown explores why some people might be more
susceptible to radical influences. “It is just a personality trait,” he says. “What you see in the show is a compliance test, where we can very quickly see who is more compliant in the group. “You may not be the sort of person who responds well to a hypnotist on stage, but you might find, for example, that a doctor administering a placebo to you is something you respond well to. We all have it in one way or another.”
The exact details of the experiment, which took four months to set up, will be revealed on the night. But Brown disclosed that his subject is 29-year-old Chris Kingston, who is unaware he’s being filmed or manipulated.
The setting is the gala launch of a fictitious charity called Push. Brown’s illusion involves special effects, stunt co-ordinators and 70 actors. Kingston doesn’t realise “it’s all an enormous fabrication and that every person he meets is an actor”. “Slowly, starting with the most innocuous deviations that they’re cajoled into, it builds and builds.”
Brown insists no distress is caused to his (willing) participants. “Within five minutes of the end happening, they were fine,” he says. “But it’s amazing how malleable people become. We think we’ve got these values and morals that we could never transgress, but all that goes out the window.” Source : http://www. independent.co.uk/arts- entertainment/tv/news/ derren-brown-pushed-to- the-edge-magician-pushes- man-to-the-edge-of-murder- in-new-show-a6803146.html
New TV series based on Harry Houdini and Doyle.
Inspired by true events, HOUDINI & DOYLE draws heavily on the rich history of the 20th Century. HOUDINI & DOYLE are coming to FOX spring of 2016. - See more at: http://www.fox.com/
View the video trailer here ... https://youtu.
be/4pSa3biSpbA
Magic man Luke Howells has a welcome addition to fit in his box of tricks - a trophy for being named Britain’s best wedding entertainer.
And if the reaction from Gazette staff to his amazing close-up magic is anything to go by, it’s easy to see why he’s bagged the trophy. Luke, 24, of Stockton, became interested in magic when he was seven after seeing his best pal’s dad, Teesside comedy magician John Archer, in action. During his teenage years, Luke spent countless hours honing his skills.
And with his quick-witted line in banter, he’s now created the perfect package to give any wedding day a sprinkle of magic.
Luke, of Fairfield, was named Wedding Entertainer (Non- Musical) of the Year in the 2016 Wedding Industry Awards, held at the Cafe du Paris in London.
And to Luke’s delight, the judges based their decision on feedback from brides and grooms whose weddings he has performed at.
But what’s his secret? According to former Ian Ramsey School and Stockton Sixth Form College student Luke, it’s the three card trick of “magic, humour and customer service.”
Watch Luke in action here ... http://www.gazettelive. co.uk/news/teesside-news/ watch-magic-tricks-helped- man-10759270
New magic movie released at Sundance Film Festival called SLEIGHT.
The story follows a young street magician named Bo (The Maze Runner’s Jacob Latimore) who is taking care of his little sister Tina (12 Years a Slave’s Storm Reid) following the death of their mother. Performing magic on the streets for tourists isn’t enough to pay the bills, so Bo has turned to peddling drugs at clubs and parties for a local drug dealer Angelo (Psych and West Wing’s Dulé Hill). Making clever use of his sleight of hand skills, Bo is able to avoid trouble from the police.
When another dealer tries to take over the Los Angeles market, Bo is propelled into a world of guns and gang violence, definitely not the