1. Find your motivation

One hundred years after his death, how did an ordinary immigrant child transform himself into the most famous magician in history?

In episode one of How Houdini Made Magic, psychological illusionist Derren Brown traces the early life of Eric Weisz.

In 1878, Eric’s family voyaged from Budapest to the American promised land of Appleton, Wisconsin. What awaited him was the unforgiving Gilded Age America. But Eric turned hardship and personal tragedy into a motivation that would become the driving force of his life: to keep his ageing mother comfortable.

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