DORSET illusionists The Twins are fulfilling a lifelong ambition – making Daleks for the BBC.

Gary and Paul Hardy-Brown, 37, have been hired as creative consultants on the Doctor Who Live The Monsters are Coming! arena tour – adding their brand of magic and special effects to this huge live spectacular, based on the TV series.

They have come a long way from the Paul Daniels magic set which inspired them as children growing up in Wareham.

As the only identical twin illusionists in the world they have carved out a successful career, as performers and consultants.

They have wowed audiences around the globe with work on big stage shows, television and film – including making a Sunseeker yacht disappear. They have taught Brad Pitt sleight of hand, and performed card tricks on set with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Now they are hard at work preparing for Doctor Who Live in October taking in nine cities and 25 dates.

Gary explained: “We take things usually computer-generated from the TV screen and put it on a live platform, three or four shows a day across the country,”

They are creating a flying Dalek, being built in their secret workshop in Poole.

Time spent on a Doctor Who set as children proved a pivotal inspiration for the brothers’ careers. Their eyes were opened to the wonders of special effects at the filming of Destiny of the Daleks in 1978, when they were just seven, in a sandpit just outside Wareham. The brothers got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look thanks to their father, a contractor working on-site.

Paul said: “I remember playing among the Daleks and jumping into the Tardis.

“We’ve been fans of the show from day one,” added Gary.

Paul is taking his involvement with the show to the next level – even playing a few monsters live on stage. “It was too good an opportunity to miss to actually perform in Doctor Who Live,” he added.

Despite the 15-hour days, and Paul having been told by a careers adviser he was more suited to an office job, The Twins say they have never wanted to do anything else.

The Twins’ magic can currently be seen in the David Essex musical, All the Fun of the Fair, in London, and they are working on no less than 25 Christmas pantos this year – including at The Mayflower in Southampton.

For more on Gary and Paul visit thetwins.co.uk. Doctor Who Live is on UK tour from October 8. For ticket information, go to doctorwholive.com