Stars with MS - Wayne Dobson

"The best medicine is working, then the MS becomes secondary," says comic magician Wayne Dobson

If you need proof that laughter is the best medicine, take a look at comic magician Wayne Dobson. Diagnosed with MS 15 years ago, he is doing a 60 day nationwide tour with oddball comedian Joe Pasquale.

Wayne Dobson had his own show on ITV 10 years ago. At the height of his fame, he was in The Royal Variety Performance, doing imitations of Frank Bruno and Harry Carpenter.

Now 45, in a wheelchair, divorced but happily with a new girlfriend, Wayne says: "I feel very positive and very good in myself. My philosophy in life is - only do what you're good at, and it looks like you're good at everything you do".

Wayne does not let MS or being in a wheelchair get in the way of his performing on stage. He says, "You've got to turn your minuses into pluses."

"I always thought I had a talent. I don't want people to say, 'He's good considering he's got MS'. I want them to say, 'He's good'.".

Off-the-wall magic

Joe Pasquale invited Wayne to go on the tour with him. Says Joe: "I asked Wayne to join me because he is a fantastic magician. Wayne is unique and there is no one else quite like him. There are a lot of magicians out there who are very good, but don't have the comedy skills that Wayne has. His magic is very off the wall, but he makes it accessible to the uninitiated."

In the show, Wayne is upfront about having MS. "I don't make MS funny," says Wayne, "I just put people at ease with my condition. I want to get it out of the way and get on with it."

Joe adds, "Wayne doesn't send up the fact that he has MS. His act is so strong he doesn't need to go for the audience's sympathy. The fact that he has MS is irrelevant to the performace."

One of the reasons Wayne likes Joe so much is that he doesn't label him with MS. "Joe saw past my disability. He saw me as a person."

In the show, Wayne does not use a wheelchair, but works from a bar stool on stage. But he is unhappy about the way wheelchair users are often still treated in this country. "If you're in a wheelchair, they think your mind has gone too!"

The tour sounds arduous enough for anyone, but it doesn't bother Wayne Dobson. He stays well by sticking to a strict anti-candida diet. Wayne went to see herbalist Gerald black who put him on his diet: no dairy, nothing sweet, no gluten, nothing fermented etc.

I felt more alert and less tired

"After two weeks I couldn't believe the difference! I felt more alert and less tired. I've stuck to it for seven years and now the diet is a way of life.

It's not a problem when travelling; I can manage it with ease on a tour, although the hard part is snacking. I used to be a chocaholic, but it's not that difficult to give things up if you know what harm they're doing you". Wayne also has physiotherapy once a week.

Whatever Wayne's doing, he's certainly keeping the show on the road. Says Joe, "Wayne's attitude to MS is very positive and he is surrounded by positive people, including myself. The fact that he is back on the road doing a 60 date tour says everything about the man and the way he looks at life."

Performing is what Wayne loves doing most. Says Wayne: "The best medicine for me is working. Then MS becomes secondary."

This article was taken from the Pathways magazine - March/April 2003 edition.