YOU know when you watch Dynamo on the telly, and people's jaws drop?

Whether he's walking across the River Thames, making a £20 note appear inside a lightbulb or turning wallpaper into a flutter of live butterflies, the reaction is the same. Whether they're A-list celebrities, street children in India, or smart cookies in a New York club, onlookers seem genuinely spooked - like they have witnessed something not of this world.

And that's how I felt last night, watching the Bradford-born superstar illusionist disappear in front of our eyes. Literally a couple of seconds later he was standing in an upper circle of the auditorium, quite a distance from the stage. I have no idea how he did it. I felt my jaw drop and I couldn't find any words other than: "But how...he was just there...how can that happen?"

And that's the beauty of the extraordinarily gifted Dynamo. You tell yourself that his remarkable illusions are down to skill, professionalism and the result of years of dedicated practice - but part of you is so bewildered you think it just has to be magic.

The illusionist ended his smash hit live tour - his first ever - in front of a home crowd at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.

It was an intimate show, with Dynamo re-creating the raw, urban feel of the street magic where it all began. There were no fancy gimmicks or props, no camera trickery; just the solitary star on stage, chatting to a packed audience as if he was shuffling cards on the streets of Bradford.

The show opened with a touching animated film tracing Dynamo's childhood on Delph Hill estate in Wyke where, as a bullied child, he sought escapism in comic books and magic tricks.

Reflecting on what drove him to succeed, he later spoke about being bullied and in particular one incident that has stayed with him. After he was taken by two older boys to a dam and thrown in the water, Dynamo - who was then Steven Frayne - decided that one day he would know how it felt to walk on water. And he did, as anyone who recalls his extraordinary stunt on the River Thames will know.

He also spoke with affection about his grandpa, who taught him card tricks and would perform mind-boggling illusions before casually wandering off, a style Dynamo adopted. He even paid homage to the Wyke Lion, the pub frequented by his grandparents where he no doubt tried on early card tricks on regulars.

I felt a surge of pride when a video montage dedicated to Dynamo's beloved "Gramps" included footage of him holding up a Telegraph & Argus article about his grandson when he was on the cusp of fame.

I can't give too much away about Dynamo's live show, but if you like what you see on TV - and millions do - you'll love it. There's plenty of audience interaction - everyone in the audience was involved at one point - and he pulls off mind-reading, a baffling card trick and startling physical feats with ease, humour, warmth and the control of a seasoned professional.

The tour is called Seeing is Believing. And I believe.

* Dynamo is at the First Direct Arena, Leeds until Sunday.