Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas

De: Paul M. Levitt, Bob Sinfield

Narrado por: Michael Maloney, Graham Crowden, Lorelei King, Shelley Thompson, Nigel Anthony, Rajan Datar, full cast

Harry Houdini's story is the classic American tale of an immigrant who from impoverished beginnings made it big in the United States. Born in Hungary as Erik Weisz, he was brought up in Wisconsin, USA and first developed his acts at the age of 17 after a childhood in poverty. Captivated by magic shows, he began performing tricks on stage with one of his brothers, and then with his wife. From being bound in chains to massive locks and straight jackets, Houdini found fame with his dramatic escapes.

This collection brings together two fascinating full-cast radio dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums. Though he longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, he knew far too much about the trickery of the stage to think it possible.

Houdini by Bob Sinfield is a dramatised biography of the master magician and escapologist. The story is told by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was a committed Spiritualist and friend of Houdini, and whose wife was a self-proclaimed medium. Conan Doyle and Houdini were an improbable pair, brought together by a shared interest in spiritualism, but it was also their differing views on this very matter that destroyed their unlikely friendship. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.

In the 1920s, Houdini turned his energies toward debunking psychics and mediums in order to show how they were taking advantage of the bereaved. The Witch of Beacon Hill by Paul M. Levitt tells the story of the celebrated Boston medium known as 'Margery', and how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.

Also included in this collection is a documentary programme, Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman, in which Rajan Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini. What motivated this complex man who spent a lifetime 'deluding' the public with his illusions, and how did he reconcile that with his campaign against the Spiritualist movement which he regarded as a racket?

©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd