The man. The myth. The legend.
That's who Brett Oddly, a magician from Blumenort, is striving to be as he recreates and performs stunts, tricks and illusions that Houdini performed in Winnipeg more than 100 years ago.
"(I'm) using the same methods, same material and everything. So it's going to be a lot of fun," he says. "I'm really looking forward to it."
Oddly is putting his skills to the test at this year's Winnipeg Fringe Festival starting. Performances start Wednesday, with shows following on July 18, 20, 22, 23, 24 and 27 in Winnipeg at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain (CCFM).
"I have two big stunts," Oddly says. "I'm doing what's called 'metamorphosis,' which is a big illusion where I get locked in a box, and someone's on top... The finale, of course, is my hanging straightjacket escape."
Tickets are required to watch the show.
On July 22, the illusionist will also be making a second Guinness World Record attempt as a part of Fringe.
"This one is going to be the most call bells rung with my forehead in one minute," Oddly explains. "Initially there was no record set, so Guinness told me I had to do 70... but since they decided that, someone has broken the record and set it... to 117."
He'll make his record-breaking attempt at The Cube in downtown Winnipeg around 2:30 p.m., during a free outdoor show.
It will hopefully satiate a decade-old New Year's resolution he made to break a Guinness World Record.
"Every year I go through the Guinness website, or I come with an idea. I've applied for nine different records, and only one of them actually said, 'Hey, you can do this,'" Oddly says.
Written with files from Corny Rempel