Magical arts performing couple Ted and Marion Outerbridge will be performing their internationally-renowned illusion show, Outerbridge—Clockwork Mysteries in Smiths Falls, Ont. from July 1 to Oct. 1.
Incorporating elements of illusion, giant props, quick costume changes and storytelling, Clockwork Mysteries combines Ted’s passion for magic with his wife Marion’s background in professional dance.
“It’s more than just a magic show,” Ted said.
Ted and Marion met 23 years ago in the performing arts circuit in Montreal, Que. and married in 2006. Soon after they met, they started brainstorming Clockwork Mysteries, a show they have since performed in locations such as China, Germany and Hollywood.
As a performing duo, Ted said he is obsessed with the method behind the tricks, while Marion focuses more on the show’s presentation.
“Marion is … a dancer who performs magic. She thinks anything is possible, and she’s not restricted by how it’s going to work. That’s my problem,” Ted said.
According to Ted, Clockwork Mysteries is “a celebration of time.” Using time as the play’s theme facilitates a connection with audience members, he said.
“I wish I could go back to when I was in high school and change my hairstyle, but I can’t,” he added. “Everyone has that desire. We want to change something. [That] gives the piece more meaning.”
Clockwork Mysteries tells an interactive story of a journey through time. Ted and Marion said they use a giant time machine to travel between different moments in time and race against the clock.
Storytelling is an integral component of Clockwork Mysteries, according to Marion. The couple draw from personal experience as inspiration and use magic as their storytelling outlet.
“The magic accompanies a story that we tell … and I think that’s what sets us [apart],” Marion said.
Among their sources of magic and storytelling inspiration are items such as the old keys and photographs that they found after moving into the Keyhole House, a 19th-century house located in Smiths Falls, Ont.
“We basically moved into a time capsule,” Ted said.
The magic tricks inspired by their home will be featured in their newest show, The Keyhole House, which is set to premiere in 2023. Ted said that this summer’s audiences will be offered a preview of the new show’s offerings.
This summer’s run will consist of 34 performances at the Smiths Falls Station Theatre, a former Canadian Pacific railway station that was converted into a 140-seat theatre.
The Outerbridges have sold out all 42 of their performances at the Station Theatre since their debut at the venue in 2019.
“We’re inviting people into our living room, except it’s a theatre,” Ted said.
“Every seat is like a front row seat, basically. It’s fantastic,” Marion added.
Over the past several years, the entertainment industry has seen a spike in illusion show interest, making runs in small towns such as Smiths Falls possible.
“We have seen a massive resurgence in variety entertainment because of shows such as America’s Got Talent. Magic and variety arts have never been so popular,” said Keith Tomasek, media strategist for Clockwork Mysteries and Carleton alumnus.
He said expanding the show’s reach to people outside the Ottawa Valley has been crucial to its success.
Mike Crowder, a Cornwall, Ont. resident, attended Clockwork Mysteries at the Station Theatre in Sept. 2021 after seeing an advertisement on Facebook.
Crowder said he enjoyed the performance so much that he will be returning in July, this time bringing his eight-year-old grandson.
“I can’t say enough good things about the performance,” Crowder said. “You can tell that [Ted and Marion] love doing what [they’re] doing.”
Clockwork Mysteries will be running at the Station Theatre from July 1 to Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets are available online.
Featured image by Natasha Baldin.
