Award-winning theatre company New Old Friends in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Return to the Corn Exchange with their new show Houdini’s Greatest Escape!
On Thursday 14 March, Houdini’s Greatest Escape comes to the Corn Exchange, presented by New Old Friends, who brought you Crimes on Centre Court, Crimes Camera Action, and Crimes in Egypt. You can experience an unforgettable evening of entertainment as the captivating story of Harry Houdini is brought to life.
Almost 100 years ago today, Harry Houdini performed his final disappearing trick. Every year since, magic enthusiasts across the world have held Halloween seances in an attempt to solve the great escapologist’s last mystery. Surely if anyone could cheat death it would have been Houdini! New Old Friends can’t promise to shed any light on that story but do have a brand new one…Harry Houdini is the world’s greatest entertainer. Just as his death-defying escapology stunts have him, and his wife Bess, on the cusp of a career-defining performance for King Edward, he finds himself framed for murder by a gang of criminals in cahoots with the chief of police. Can Harry & Bess escape the plot and clear their names? And how is their rival, The Superstar Spiritualist medium, Agatha, involved?
All will be revealed in this hilarious 39 Steps-esque thriller, played out in New Old Friends’ (Crimes on Centre Court) inimitable, award-winning style of physical comedy, sparkling wit and just a touch of chaos. Featuring a hard-working cast of four playing multiple roles on an almost harder-working set, this show will have you laughing and gasping throughout at the magic of theatre and the ‘real’ magic of illusions designed by TV’s Pete Firman (Netflix’s Good Omen’s / BBC One’s The Magicians). Cast includes Ben Higgins as Harry Houdini, Lydia Piechowiak as Bess Houdini with Many other characters played by Kirsty Cox and Adam Elliott.
Feargus Woods-Dunlop said: ‘This is a show we have wanted to make for years and are over the moon that the company is finally in a position to realise the vision of blending our slightly chaotic ‘overtly theatrical’ nonsense with some genuine illusions. Researching and ‘getting to know’ Harry and Bess Houdini has been fascinating and this, entirely fictional, episode in their crusade against fraud mediums has been a huge amount of fun to create. We can’t wait to share it with the country.’
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre added ‘We are thrilled to be working with a company with such unashamed and passionate a commitment to entertainment and can’t wait to present Houdini to our audiences’.
Houdini's Greatest Escape will be at the Corn Exchange Newbury on Thursday 14 March. Tickets £22.25 (including booking fees). To book or for more information click here or call the Box Office on 01635 522733.