In August 2026, we’re thrilled to bring Houdini Speaks to the Living to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for a two-week run at theSpaceUK’s bustling theSpace on the Mile venue on High Street. August 7-22 at 10:10 PM. Come enjoy beautiful Edinburgh and ask the question, “CAN THE DEAD SPEAK??”

Starring Patrick Terry as Harry Houdini and Robert Matney as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this acclaimed Hidden Room production brings two towering figures of the early twentieth century face to face at the height of their ideological divide.

TICKETS: 2026 EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL

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The Hidden Room and the Harry Ransom Center proudly present this original work, meticulously researched from the Ransom Center’s Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle archives. Produced with the generous support of Gerry Ohrstrom and Larry Starr.

The year is 1924. Harry Houdini is at the peak of his fame, touring the country with performance-lectures that expose fraudulent mediums and challenge the growing Spiritualist movement. At the same moment, his friend (and eventual adversary) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is lecturing in passionate defense of Spiritualism, convinced it represents a profound philosophical and moral evolution for humanity.

Drawing directly from letters, essays, diaries, photographs, and published writings, Houdini Speaks to the Living stages their collision of belief systems with precision and restraint. Approximately 75% of the text is verbatim, constructed entirely from primary sources, allowing the audience to hear these men largely in their own words as they grapple with the enduring question of belief, proof, and the human desire to reach beyond death.

Recommended for 10+

Running time 50 minutes