The twins who can make a DeLorean fly on stage

As Sooty and Sweep look down on the severed heads of Ant and Dec, a Cyberman gazes impassively at the glass case containing Paul Daniels' toupée.

It sounds like a bizarre dream, but in fact it's an accurate depiction of the Twins FX HQ in Dorset.

The twins are brothers Gary and Paul Hardy-Brown. Every shelf in their office is stuffed with masks, figurines, props and sci-fi memorabilia.

"We're real fans, massive collectors, massive geeks!" says Gary.

"It comes with the job. If you work in film and TV, you get absorbed by it."

The twins' empire is based in Wareham, where a staff of 12 create special effects and scary creatures for film, TV and stage productions.

Shrouded beneath plastic sheeting is a menagerie of giant rats, crocodiles and gorillas made for lavish pantomimes across the UK, which have been repainted and spruced up ready for the next season.

Just back from Broadway is Doc Brown's time-travelling DeLorean from Back to the Future: The Musical.

The twins developed a system for the car to fly and turn upside down over the audience in the thrilling climax to the show. 

They are now working on productions in Japan and Australia.

The brothers' fascination with special effects was sparked during the school summer holidays in 1979.

"Our dad worked in the location field for Doctor Who," says Paul.

"The BBC came to film at Hyde Pit, a sandpit near Wareham. They welcomed us and we watched them make the programme.

"One of the first things we saw was them blowing up Daleks. That was amazing to us as kids. It was a world of make-believe."

They also developed an interest in illusions and magic tricks and formed their own magic act, performing together around the world for 20 years.

Then, in 2008 they were asked to create a special effect for a pantomime at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre.

"We came up with a design to make Stefanie Powers, the Hollywood actress, fly out over the audience with no wires involved," says Paul.

"From there, it just snowballed."

Gary continues: "We were working out of our mum and dad's double garage and now we have six industrial units in Wareham. We've turned a very simple idea into a multimillion-pound company."

Things came full circle when the twins were asked to build Daleks for a Doctor Who live arena tour, which was a dream come true for Paul.

Despite their global success, the twins have stayed loyal to their roots in Dorset and use local contractors and suppliers to help with their complex builds.

"We do get funny looks from clients sometimes," says Gary.

"They go 'You're in Dorset? Why not in London?' And we say, 'Well just get yourself on a train two hours down and you'll see why'."

"We had the Japanese director and stage manager for Back to the Future come down here and they stayed for a week because they just loved it, visiting Studland and Kimmeridge."

The Twins FX are now working on brand new special effects for the London Palladium's 2025 Christmas pantomime, as they continue to scare, surprise and delight audiences around the world.

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