3. Know your audience
From police station publicity stunts to vaudeville stardom. Derren Brown explores how handcuffs, Martin Beck, and the art of suspense transformed Houdini's career
Houdini almost gave up on the act that would make him a star: the handcuff escape. But with his wife’s encouragement, he persisted. And it paid off.
Join Derren Brown as we learn how Houdini went from a sideshow hustler to the big time.
In 1899, Martin Beck, a Vaudeville booker, stumbled into a beer hall in St Paul, Minnesota, and changed Houdini’s life. He thought Houdini’s handcuff escape act was uniquely interesting and offered him a run of shows.
Houdini grasped the opportunity with both hands. As his understanding of what his audiences desired increased, so too did his star rise. He became a Vaudeville star.
Presenter: Derren Brown
Writer/Producer: Calum McCrae
Additional research: Alice Homewood
Sound designer: David Crackles
Executive producer: Sophie Ellis
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
A Strawberry Blond production for BBC Sounds and Radio 4
On radio
Broadcast
- Wed 21 Oct 202613:45BBC Radio 4
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