3. Know your audience

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