What if all the stories you heard were true? Urban legends contained within declassified files are recreated live on stage by hypnotist Aaron Calvert - the star of Channel 4's Hello Stranger - in his 2018 Fringe show.

How did you stumble on all this Declassified info and did you have to have any security clearances?

Luckily by the very nature of the documents being 'declassified' I didn't need any security clearance to find the info I was looking for, though as a hypnotist I'm sure I could have used my powers of persuasion should that have been a problem...

My research has lead me to scour the internet for fascinating stories and facts about people doing the impossible, trawling through thousands of pages of documents and lot of weird YouTube searches.

The original idea for the show was based on the urban legends we've all heard about, such as mothers ripping doors off cars to save their children trapped underneath or seemingly paranormal abilities. Back when I was training as a doctor, superhuman feats like these were used to demonstrate the true capacity of the human body under stress. Then in 2017 the CIA released their classified documents on the psychic experiments they'd carried out in the 1970s, this made for some incredible reading and inspiration, this is what eventually tied the show together.

Ultimately the show is about whether I can take audience members and recreate amazing, legendary status superhuman feats live on stage.

So what will surprise us on what the human mind capable of?

Everything. This is not a 'cluck-like-a-chicken' mind reading and hypnosis show. In Declassified you will witness members of the audience perform the inexplicable in a series of superhuman feats; the kind of feats you only ever hear about in 'urban legend' type stories.

Each show is different because the demonstrations depend on the volunteers, but everyone will experience something memorable and I encourage the whole audience to take part in the hypnosis element of the show.

We've all heard the sayings, 'it's mind over matter' and 'we only use 10% of our brain'. Let me show you what happens when you let your mind take over, with seemingly superhuman feats of strength, telekinesis and telepathy.

Do you need to have super human strength to survive a month of the Fringe?

Yes, superhuman mental strength I'd say is a more accurate description. It's a brutal month, everything from doing 26 shows straight, to the ups and down of performing life, good and bad reviews that make you cry yourself to sleep and the mixture of late nights and early mornings; you've got to be superhuman in some way to stay on top of your game.

I think it's so important for performers to take care of themselves during the month, it means that every day you can put on your best show and you owe that to the audience. However, come September 1st my superhuman strength normally disappears and you can find me curled up in a ball, weeping, ill and sleeping for a week somewhere in Manchester.

We hear that you like a bit of dancing, will you be showing some moves at the Fringe?

I don't know where you would have got that idea from... cough... cough...

I do love a dance, apparently in front of 400 people in Disneyland. As my friends would say, I have no shame. But there won't be any dancing in the show, from audience members anyway, it isn't that kind of hypnosis show. I'm all about pushing people to do things beyond their normal abilities and dancing just don't cut it.

At the top of the show I promise never to embarrass anyone. If the audience are up for it, I could end up throwing a few shapes on stage (see again no shame in trying to be cool there). Otherwise you'll probably see me randomly dancing and singing to myself in the street like a crazy person, I love dancing, it really lifts my mood.

Maybe I should put down a hat this year, I may earn enough change to grab a Starbucks, or the fuel of life as I call it in Edinburgh.

Will you also be dispensing dating advice up in Edinburgh on the back of the Channel 4 show?

Between performing Declassified, teching another show Dreamer by Sam Fitton, promoting my show, performing in cabaret and variety shows, busting some shameless moves in the street and finding some time in there to eat and sleep, I probably won't have time to be dishing out any advice.

Lots of people have contacted me since the Channel 4 show Hello Stranger asking for advice and wanting to take part in the amazing hypnosis based concept, in fact one couple wanted to fly from Japan just to take part, but advice on dating isn't really mine to give.

Working on the show, presenting it and making the 'magic' happen for me was about providing the hypnotic experience to allow a couple to experience forgetting each other and to meet for the first time all over again. My role wasn't to give them advice on their relationship, that was the job of the psychologist and relationship councillors we had set up if the couple needed them. But hey if people want to ask relationship advice in Edinburgh maybe I should set up an 'Ask Aunt Aaron' booth on the Royal Mile, if they don't like the advice I can always make them forget I ever gave it to them...