Entertainment

Worth the Drive

OUTERBRIDGE – Clockwork Mysteries conjures summer magic at The Station Theatre in Smiths Falls

The Alarm Clock Illusion is part of the show. Photo: David Linsell

Put a little magic in your summer. OUTERBRIDGE – Clockwork Mysteries is conjuring up enchantment at The Station Theatre in Smiths Falls from July 1 through October 1. A world-class production, it’s Canada’s most successful illusion show and, luckily for local audiences, the masters of illusion behind it, Ted and Marion Outerbridge, have relocated to Smiths Falls. After years of performing around the world, they’re delighted to be performing minutes from their new home in the Ottawa Valley.  “Years ago, doing a theatrical show comparable to something in Las Vegas, in a town of 9,000, would not have been possible,” notes Ted. “But TV shows like America’s Got Talent have created a renaissance in the magical arts.”

Going up? Th e Levitation Illusion is one of the amazing feats of magic. Photo: Ross Davidson

In the blink of an eye, the Outerbridges fuse revolutionary illusions to hold you spellbound in the Clockwork Mysteries. The show is described as a “fantastical event that is at once magic, dance, theatre, and a dash of wonder.” As an audience member, you’re invited into a mysterious clock tower equipped with a variety of timekeeping devices, from elaborate Victorian time machine to time capsules. Amidst a dizzying array of uncanny predictions and vanishings, both performers and spectators become part of an interactive, exhilarating race against time, celebrating the moment and memory.

Th e Hourglass 2 Illusion. Photo: Alexandre Picotte

This summer, audiences will also get a sneak peek of the Outerbridges’ new offering, The Keyhole House, which is set to premiere in 2023. A keeper of secrets and a witness to history, this abandoned 19th century Smiths Falls home knew the couple had a penchant for mystery and would uncover its storied past, so it decided to make the duo its new occupants. Their loving restoration of its creaky floors, boarded-up walls and unearthed passageways revealed all manner of cherished artifacts, asking never to be forgotten. With marvels ranging from skeleton keys and dusty photographs to yellowed newspapers and Christmas cards—not to mention a 1918 golf ball that sent the international sports media into a frenzy—The Keyhole House continues to tell its tales.
Clockwork Mysteries shows run Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at 53 Victoria Avenue in Smiths Falls. Tickets are $28 plus HST. outerbridge.eventbrite.ca; 613 430-4626; smithsfallstheatre.com; tedouterbridge.com