Episode 2 Dynamo: Magician Impossible

Right now, I'm going to take you on a journey into my world.

I've never seen that before in my life.

GASPS OF AMAZEMENT

-FIREWORKS FIZZ AND POP

-I can't even speak about it!

It's crazy!

In this episode, I head to the city of Rio de Janeiro

and go on a South American adventure.

CHILDREN SCREAM EXCITEDLY

From the world-famous beaches of Copacabana

and Ipanema..

to the heart of Rio's favelas.

HE LAUGHS

MAN LAUGHS

Follow me as I explore this great city

and bring a touch of magic to the people of Brazil.

You Mafiaso!

My name is Steven Frayne, but most people call me Dynamo.

-What's your name?

-Junior.

-Giovanni.

-Lianus.

-Tiago.

-Tiago. I'm Dynamo.

Do you have keys or money?

INDISTINCT PORTUGUESE

Can I use your phone? Can I use this?

I just want to use the headphones.

Watch. The key...

LOUD LAUGHTER

EXCLAMATIONS IN PORTUGUESE

I had landed in paradise, thousands of miles away from the UK.

As I looked out across the ocean,

my life back home seemed like a distant memory.

Things had been going great for me in the UK.

My dreams had become a reality

and my work was finally getting recognised.

But when my grandpa died, it stopped me in my tracks.

It got impossible to perform without the man who'd inspired me

to make it this far.

Have you ever had a time in your life when things become

so overwhelming you just want to disappear?

I needed to find a place that could reinspire

my love of magic, a place where nobody knew my name.

Rio de Janeiro, the second-largest city in Brazil

and a place full of magic and wonder.

During Carnival season, over two million people descend on to

Rio's streets for the world's biggest street party.

It was my first visit to Brazil and I hoped it would give me

a chance to bring my magic to an unexpected audience.

First stop, the beaches of Ipanema.

-Ola.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Hi. How are you doing? Are you all right?

Are you from here?

-Si.

-Si.

-Si, yeah? My name is Dynamo. What's your name?

-Camilla.

-Camilla and...

-Daisy.

-Daisy.

Nice to meet you. Do you girls like coconut milk?

-Si.

-Yes?

You don't sound like you like it too much, so name a different drink.

Cafe.

You want coffee?

-What do you want?

-Laranja.

-Orange.

-Si.

Excuse me, can we have two coconut?

There's two. Will you...pick one?

Yeah.

And now, Daisy, if you pick one as well.

This one? You take that one?

Can you take this one? That one is yours? Right? That one is yours.

What did you choose?

-Cafe.

-Coffee?

And you chose... orange, right? Hold them out.

THEY LAUGH

LAUGHTER

That's a coffee.

As the sun set on my first day in Rio,

I took a stroll along the iconic boardwalk of Copacabana beach.

Rio comes alive at night.

I love to take in the sights and sounds of a new city.

SIREN WAILS

Sometimes I see things that have the power to stop me in my tracks

and make me feel like a kid again.

Lost in a moment of pure magic and amazement.

I guess it's these moments that allow us to forget our troubles

and inspire us to the infinite possibilities around us.

As I ventured further into the city, Carnival was in full flow.

The atmosphere was incredible

and I wanted to bring a little extra magic to the festivities.

Do you have a coin?

-Yes.

-Can you take it out?

I want you to draw a picture on there.

Perfect!

See that?

Take your hand and hold it tight.

Yeah, perfect. Watch.

LAUGHTER

Come with me.

-How much?

-Dez.

-Ten.

Which one?

-This one.

-This one?

RATTLING

Hear this? Hear this?

LESS RATTLING

Hear that? One thing. Yeah?

CLUNKING

Can you...? Can you stamp on there?

Oh!

Look.

SHE LAUGHS

Wow.

Oh, my God. Crazy.

I just can't understand how he does it, you know.

I'm just baffled by it. It's crazy.

As darkness fell, the local kids rushed to the popcorn store.

It's kind of like the ice cream van back home

except it sells popcorn

and it's not a van.

What's this?

THEY SPEAK PORTUGUESE

Use this?

What is this? What is this?

Popcorn.

Olha so.

KIDS SQUEAL

See that?

Taste it. Taste it. Taste it.

It's real?

KIDS SPEAK PORTUGUESE

Nothing here.

Watch.

I wanted to meet some more locals

so I headed to a bar on the outskirts of the city.

Do you have a good imagination?

Yes. Yes. Sim. Sim.

I want you to think of a playing card in your imagination now.

Yeah? So think of one card.

I have cards here. I'm going to put cards down. Just say stop.

-Stop.

-This one right here?

OK.

You could have had these two.

You could have stopped on these.

You stopped me on one card and you've been thinking of a card.

SHE GASPS

Yes. Sim, sim.

Ah...

You've got a good imagination.

We'll try and take it a step further.

So I've got the card here and I'll put it in the pack.

-You see it's facing downwards, right?

-OK.

Yeah? I'll push it in slowly.

-In your imagination, I want you to turn the card over.

-OK.

-In your imagination. Are you doing that? Bom.

-OK.

Yeah. Sim, sim.

SHE LAUGHS

How about we try one more?

This time imagine you're tearing the corner off the card.

So tear the corner off. Yeah?

Sim, sim.

One more thing with your card.

I want you to imagine that the candle's alight.

Imagine you're burning the card now. Imagine it. On the back. Yeah?

Are you doing that?

DYNAMO WINCES

Turn it over. Be careful, it's hot. Turn it over.

LAUGHTER

The next day, I headed up to the Chapeu Mangueira favela,

one of the numerous shantytowns built into the steep hills

behind Rio's coastline,

to meet up with one of the local residents, my friend Tiago.

CHILD SCREAMS

Hey.

Most of the locals can only speak a little English

and my Portuguese isn't great, so I really had to depend

on my magic to break through the language barrier.

-Ola.

-Ola.

Tudo bem?

English.

English. You speak English?

Yeah. You speak English? That's good.

Nao falar. Speak English, no.

Carioca.

-Carioca?

-Carioca.

Olha so. Yeah? Watch.

Can you do this?

MAN SPEAKS PORTUGUESE

Do it on. That way. On.

Watch.

See that? No?

Do this.

MAN LAUGHS

After lunch, Tiago gave me a tour of the favela

to meet some of the residents.

Watch.

Look, look. Look.

HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE

This hand.

This here.

HE LAUGHS

Olha so, yeah?

Cara!

THEY LAUGH

Do this, do this.

Uma...

dois...

tres.

Tres?

Open.

THEY LAUGH

THEY SPEAK PORTUGUESE

What are these?

Can I have two?

Dois. Yeah.

Cara!

Cara!

Once I'd performed for the kids, they challenged me

to a game of football on a dirt pitch at the top of a favela.

There was no way I could lose.

Playing my national sport against a bunch of six-year-olds?

This would be like taking candy from a baby.

My team against your team.

Yeah?

HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE

Let's go.

CHEERING

Erm...

See this?

Juliana.

Watch.

JULIANA LAUGHS

Juliana.

Obrigada.

It was my last day in Rio and I'd been truly inspired

by the places I'd seen and the people I'd met.

From the idyllic beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema...

..to the energy and spirit of the Chapeu Mangueira favela.

I'd been infected with Carnival fever

and would never forget this magical place.

For the first time in ages,

my troubles seemed like a distant memory.

But before I left, I needed to visit one of the great icons of Brazil,

Cristo Redentor, the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

It was a long journey up the steep mountainside by cable car

to the base of the statue.

And as the mist rolled in, it was impossible to tell

if I'd have a clear view of the incredible landmark when I arrived.

For some reason, I imagined that the statue would be

a quiet, tranquil place set high above the madness of city life,

but when I arrived the place was packed with tourists,

all trying to get a picture of the gigantic statue.

I needed a way to create a lasting memory of my trip to Rio,

an image that would forever remind me of this magnificent city.

-Excuse me, could you take a picture of me?

-OK.

-One second, I'm going to go up there.

-OK.

See me?

MUSIC: Arise, Shine by The Synanon Choir

INAUDIBLE

Eurgh!

You got to be kidding me, man.

I don't know what just happened right now, man.

-LAUGHTER

-Awesome.

I have never seen that before in my life.

MUSIC: Running by Gil Scott Heron

# Because I knew where cover was

# I would stay there and never have to run for it

# Not running for my life

# Because I have to be running for something of more value

# To be running and not in fear

# Because the thing I fear cannot be escaped, eluded, avoided

# Hidden from, protected from, gotten away from

# Not without showing the fear as I see it now. #