BESS – The Other Houdini by Christine Foster. Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village , London N6 to 12th November 2023.

3***: William Russell.

Director James Weisz decided that Houdini’s wife Bess and her efforts to keep her hisband’s legacy alive could be the subject of a play after visiting the Houdini museum in Budapest a few years back and in due course writer Christine Foster was brought on board. A hard working cast do their best in this production at the Gatehouse but what happened to Bess is not really all that interesting and the best thing about the evening are the songs of the period - the action takes place in 1929 -sung before and sometimes in the background by Sophie Tucker . Two years after his death Bess (Pip Henderson), who had worked with her husband on stage and ran his life, is in a hospital suffering from stress and is on a diet of pills, cold baths and alcohol when she can get it. She looks back at their time together, talks to her amiable nurse (Gwenneth Holmes), a Houdini fan, and is visited by various men, including her doctor, all played by John-Christian Bateman. Letters from her late husband get read and we hear him as a voice played by Jack Kristiansen. Houdini, who had taken up exposing psychics and mediums, agreed with Bess that after his death he would try and contact her using a special code at a séance and until 1936 Bess carried out his wish. He never did and she gave up saying ten years was long enough to wait for any man. Bess is a massive part and Pip Henderson carries the role with some aplomb but it is not really enough to save the play for all its good intentions – Christine Foster sees her as the hidden female, the rock on which hebuilt his superstardom and the creator if the legend – the real reason why his name is remembered today. G Houdini was an escapologist . Sadly I am not. Go see for yourselves

Cast

Pip Henderson – Bess Houdini.

Gwenneth Holmes – Nurse MacDermott & May Hinson.

John-Christian Bateman – Dr Humphrey Cousins, Bernard Ernst, Sergeamt Atkinson, Theo Hardeen.

Voice of Houdini – Jack Kiristiansen.

Creatives

Director – James Weisz.

Set & Costumes Design – JC Hudley.

Sound & Lighting Design – James Weisz.

Magic & Effects Consultant – Paul Zenon.