Will Frow put on the stunt, which involved two members of the crowd attempting to tie him up faster than he could escape
12:00, 30 Oct 2026Updated 12:51, 30 Oct 2026
Hull’s very own Houdini attempted a complex stunt to mark 100 years since the great escape artist’s death. Will Frow, a magician and escape artist from Hull, took to Victoria Pier on Thursday, attempting to escape from 100ft of rope faster than two volunteers could tie him.
The stunt took place close to where Harry Houdini himself performed a death-defying stunt on Hull’s waterfront in 1914. According to Hull Magicians’ Circle, 8,000 spectators watched Houdini escape from handcuffs and chains in the river in the stunt more than 100 years ago.
Will’s stunt is part of a series of events to mark 100 years since Houdini made his last escape attempt, including a free family magic show at Trinity Market and an evening exploring the escapologist’s extraordinary life. “It was a race against time with 100ft rope to escape from,” Will said.
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“It’s 100 years since Houdini died and across the UK some other magicians are doing straight jacket escapes, while we thought we’d do the 100ft rope escape because Houdini – everyone has seen in a straight jacket – but no one has seen 100ft of rope being tied around someone on the regular.”
It was a close call. Will managed to escape in 1 minute and 35 seconds, while the spectators tied him up in 1 minute and 47 seconds. “It was quite a tiring event but I’ve done it and I think everyone here enjoyed the day”.
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