If you live in the UK, you’ll probably know all about the cultural phenomenon that is Dynamo (see picture). Magician Impossible, as he’s known, has been everywhere: he’s got his own series, he appears on chat shows, and was 2011’s hottest topic for office water cooler discussion. He’s really fucking famous guys, I’d like to make that clear.
Here’s a video of the man himself, performing a trick on the BBC’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He’s doing that trick called SAW. You remember the one? It was all the rage a couple of years ago. No, I never did it either.
What really interests about Dynamo is the fact that, quite clearly, this guy doesn’t seem to possess anything like the charisma or star appeal that one might expect. I’m not trying to be harsh on the guy here. He chooses his tricks extremely well, he’s clearly very good at what he does, and he deserves a lot of credit.
But why is he so fucking famous? When you think about it, he goes against pretty much everything which is sacrosanct within the magic community: he doesn’t have an engaging presentation style. He doesn't use his magic to ‘communicate’ a ‘message’. He speaks quietly. He tells no jokes.
What makes him good? I’ll tell you - in spite of all his shortfalls, Dynamo projects a very clear character. He has an identity. There is more to the character of Dynamo than just the tricks which he does. He is a success because, unlike 99% of magicians out there, he is more than Just Another White Guy.
Darwin Ortiz, I’m looking at you.
Daryl Easton, I’m looking at you.
Allan Ackerman, I’m looking at you.
I’d say that Dynamo managed to secure a TV deal, where so many have not, precisely because he doesn’t follow the magic rulebook. There’s something raw about Dynamo’s magic, something which feels genuine. It seems that Dynamo’s popularity shows that close-up magic doesn’t need to be packed with one liners or deep messages to be a huge success.
