Famed magician Dynamo, alias Steven Frayne, has already walked on water and levitated on skyscrapers. For his next trick, he decided to bury himself alive on live TV. As far as hooks go, it’s pretty irresistible.
As Dynamo, he’s sold out shows all over the world with his extraordinary feats of magic, but, he says, “as Steven Frayne, I sometimes struggled to get out of bed in the morning.” This live burial (at the Angel of the North, no less), is meant to symbolise overcoming his demons and being reborn as Steven, not Dynamo.
And he doesn’t need to tell us, but it’s one of the most dangerous stunts he's ever attempted. Initially, however, it takes a while before there's any actual burying – we quickly learn Dynamo isn’t even going to be in a coffin – because the bulk of the special revolves around various chats.
This means saying hello to truly mind-boggling number of celebrity guests, including Cara Delevingne, the skateboarder Tony Hawk and even Coldplay. They all drop by, one by one, to dispense their pearls of wisdom on everything from managing mental health (Tyson Fury) to sticking around even when you don’t feel wanted (Coldplay… ouch).
That’s all well and good – and of course, there is time to squeeze some magic tricks in too – but it strikes a bit of an odd tone. One moment, he's joking with a cheery Pete Davison (would that this entire show were a Dynamo-and-Pete double act); the next, he is opening up about his trauma. It's sensitive and affecting, but it does also give the viewer a vague sense of whiplash.
At two hours, this also makes the entire thing feel rather formulaic: deep chat, fun trick, repeat. Sure, watching somebody crow, “Oh my God!” as Dynamo conjures butterflies from thin air or does a nifty bit of mind reading doesn’t get old… until the 10th time. Then it just feels a bit self-indulgent.
Fortunately, things start heating up when the countdown to the burial starts. At this point, the revolving door of celebs becomes more of a march of doom. Escape artist Jonathan Goodwin explains that “more people have been killed being buried alive [than any other trick]… Houdini tried and failed. This is one of the most physically challenging things that I think it’s possible for another human being to do.” In fact, the stunt he’s attempting has never been done before. Ever (though the fact I'm writing this hints that everything did go to plan).
No pressure, then – and it is fascinating watching how Dynamo starts to prepare for this last stunt: measuring the rate his body is consuming oxygen, attempting test runs. And of course the nature of the live broadcast made the entire thing even more nail-biting to watch.
In fact, I found it very difficult; I’m impressed Sky were gutsy enough to let it happen. So did he make it out? Spoiler alert... well, you're not reading reports of a magician's spectacular feat going tragically wrong, so that gives you an indication. Watching him finally crawl out of the grave (the entire thing takes only five minutes, but they're bloody tense ones), the whole body heaves a sigh of relief.
Was it worth it, then? Certainly, Dynamo seems to think so: for him, this is goodbye to the alter-ego he's carried for so long, and hello to being Steven again. Yes, it appears that Dynamo, as a character, is no more. What does that mean for Steven Frayne? It will be intriguing to find out.
For the celebs involved, this was a chance to see some magic up close (because let's face it, that's what we're here for). At the end of the day, though, this is about something bigger, at least for the magician.
“Hopefully, parts of this journey have helped you feel comfortable being you,” he says to the audience towards the end, having opened up about everything from his attempts to end his own life, to finding joy in his craft again. A worthy goal and some real tense TV even if ultimately it was all a bit uneven.
