Roslyn Walker
Encyclopedia
Roslyn Walker is an escape artist and stuntman
famous for recreating Harry Houdini
's most technically challenging escape stunts including the suspended straitjacket escape and the world famous Mirror Handcuff Challenge.
Most recently Roslyn Walker set two new World records within the field of escapology and has been voted 6th in the Ten Greatest Escape Artists in History .
Known as the original gentleman escape artist, Roslyn Walker is often referred to as The Aristocrat of the Sideshow due to his performances having an air of British sophistication and Victorian class despite being performed outdoors. He can often be seen at steam rallies, country fairs and other events throughout the UK performing his one-man travelling show or appearing with his 21st Century Sideshow.
in 1904 by the newspaper The London Daily Mirror.
In 2008 Roslyn Walker appeared at the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza and at the end of the event was challenged by the committee to recreate the feat under the same conditions Houdini faced over 100 years previous.
The handcuffs took the next two years to make and in 2010 Roslyn Walker returned to the North Wales event to face his challengers.
In those two years he had not been allowed to see the handcuffs that were to be locked on his wrists. The first time he would set eyes on them would be as they were being snapped onto his wrists.
Just as when Houdini performed the original Mirror Cuff Challenge, Roslyn Walker did not see how the cuffs locked or unlocked, he did not see or handle the key used to secure the restraints, nor were the cuffs removed once they had been locked in place. To do so would have been to accept defeat.
Houdini had two advantages over Roslyn Walker's attempt. The first was that Houdini was able to hide inside a cabinet away from the eyes of the public, Roslyn Walker had to perform his attempt before an audience of 10000 people. The second advantage is that Houdini had as much time as he wanted. Roslyn Walker had a strict time limit.
Roslyn Walker was successful and the Extravaganza Challenge Cuffs now form part of his collection of defeated handcuffs and can be seen in all venues he performs in.
's music video The Walls are Coming Down.
Suspended by his feet Roslyn Walker dangled above the band and managed to free himself a total of seven times during just three hours of filming. This stunt was so extreme that Roslyn Walker left the shoot bleeding from the armpits.
One such challenge was to crack the combination of a safe that contained his fee. Upper Norwood Library
, the UK's only independently owned public lending library, challenged Roslyn Walker to free his fee from their safe during an event to celebrate their 110th anniversary
On other occasions Roslyn Walker has been challenged to escape from the inside a beer barrel donated by the National Brewery Centre and was almost pulled apart by two timber trucks at a steam rally.
's Asylum. The first time managing to free himself from two straitjackets and then escaping from an airtight body bag. The second time he hammered a nail up his nose and escaped from three pairs of police issue handcuffs in full view.
His most recent TV exploits have seen him appearing on Big Brothers Little Brother and ITV's primetime show Odd One In
where he successfully fooled the celebrity panel and studio audience with his acting skills whilst simultaneously managing to escape from a canvas sack secured with single borrowed padlock that he picked through the thick material of the sack in under 30 seconds.
You will see amazing tricks on a single wheel from World champion unicyclist Kaleigh Grainger
; comedy, juggling and high-wire walking from Harley the Clown; as well as Roslyn's own daring feats of escapology and classic sideshow stunts all accompanied by live music from fiddler Ed Wright and guitarist Stu Dench
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
famous for recreating Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
's most technically challenging escape stunts including the suspended straitjacket escape and the world famous Mirror Handcuff Challenge.
Most recently Roslyn Walker set two new World records within the field of escapology and has been voted 6th in the Ten Greatest Escape Artists in History .
Known as the original gentleman escape artist, Roslyn Walker is often referred to as The Aristocrat of the Sideshow due to his performances having an air of British sophistication and Victorian class despite being performed outdoors. He can often be seen at steam rallies, country fairs and other events throughout the UK performing his one-man travelling show or appearing with his 21st Century Sideshow.
World Record Breaking Escape Artist
On the 29 April 2011 in The Albert Pub, Llandudno, Roslyn Walker set two new world records for escaping from regulation police handcuffs.- The Most Handcuff Escapes in One Minute: The previous record of 6 was beaten by Roslyn Walker setting a new world record of 9 handcuff escapes in a single minute.
- The Most Handcuff Escapes in One Hour: Roslyn Walker ~ the Gentleman Escape Artist escaped from 677 pairs of handcuffs in full view without the use of keys within one hour beating the record set by Zdenek Bradac in the Czech Republic in 2010 by 50.
Modern Mirror Handcuff Challenge aka The Extravaganza Challenge Cuffs
The original Mirror Handcuff Challenge was issued to Harry HoudiniHarry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
in 1904 by the newspaper The London Daily Mirror.
In 2008 Roslyn Walker appeared at the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza and at the end of the event was challenged by the committee to recreate the feat under the same conditions Houdini faced over 100 years previous.
The handcuffs took the next two years to make and in 2010 Roslyn Walker returned to the North Wales event to face his challengers.
In those two years he had not been allowed to see the handcuffs that were to be locked on his wrists. The first time he would set eyes on them would be as they were being snapped onto his wrists.
Just as when Houdini performed the original Mirror Cuff Challenge, Roslyn Walker did not see how the cuffs locked or unlocked, he did not see or handle the key used to secure the restraints, nor were the cuffs removed once they had been locked in place. To do so would have been to accept defeat.
Houdini had two advantages over Roslyn Walker's attempt. The first was that Houdini was able to hide inside a cabinet away from the eyes of the public, Roslyn Walker had to perform his attempt before an audience of 10000 people. The second advantage is that Houdini had as much time as he wanted. Roslyn Walker had a strict time limit.
Roslyn Walker was successful and the Extravaganza Challenge Cuffs now form part of his collection of defeated handcuffs and can be seen in all venues he performs in.
Suspended Straitjacket Escape
Roslyn Walker recreated this stunt in the same way that Houdini did it for FanfarloFanfarlo
Fanfarlo are a London-based indie pop band formed in 2006 by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar, and Giles J Davis...
's music video The Walls are Coming Down.
Suspended by his feet Roslyn Walker dangled above the band and managed to free himself a total of seven times during just three hours of filming. This stunt was so extreme that Roslyn Walker left the shoot bleeding from the armpits.
Other Challenges
Roslyn Walker has also accepted new challenges never before attempted by another escape artist living or dead.One such challenge was to crack the combination of a safe that contained his fee. Upper Norwood Library
Upper Norwood Library
Upper Norwood Joint Library is a Public Library located in Upper Norwood, South London. It stands in Lambeth on the edge of the borough boundary between both the London Borough of Croydon and the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on Westow Hill, in Crystal Palace town centre.Upper Norwood...
, the UK's only independently owned public lending library, challenged Roslyn Walker to free his fee from their safe during an event to celebrate their 110th anniversary
On other occasions Roslyn Walker has been challenged to escape from the inside a beer barrel donated by the National Brewery Centre and was almost pulled apart by two timber trucks at a steam rally.
TV and Radio
Roslyn Walker has been featured on both TV and radio most notable was his two appearances on Kerrang! Radio for Tim ShawTim Shaw
Tim Shaw may refer to:* Tim Shaw , British radio personality* Tim Shaw , American football player* Tim Shaw , Australian after dinner speaker and television personality...
's Asylum. The first time managing to free himself from two straitjackets and then escaping from an airtight body bag. The second time he hammered a nail up his nose and escaped from three pairs of police issue handcuffs in full view.
His most recent TV exploits have seen him appearing on Big Brothers Little Brother and ITV's primetime show Odd One In
Odd One In
Odd One In is a British comedy panel game show, broadcast on the ITV Network. It is hosted by Bradley Walsh. The regular Home Team are Peter Andre and Jason Manford, the Away Team are two guest celebrities who change each week.-Format:...
where he successfully fooled the celebrity panel and studio audience with his acting skills whilst simultaneously managing to escape from a canvas sack secured with single borrowed padlock that he picked through the thick material of the sack in under 30 seconds.
21st Century Sideshow
Roslyn Walker's 21st Century Sideshow is a travelling outdoor show that brings the thrills of the Victorian sideshow to the modern audience.You will see amazing tricks on a single wheel from World champion unicyclist Kaleigh Grainger
Kaleigh Grainger
Kaleigh Michelle Grainger is a British unicyclist. She won a gold medal at Unicon X in 2000 when only 14 years old ....
; comedy, juggling and high-wire walking from Harley the Clown; as well as Roslyn's own daring feats of escapology and classic sideshow stunts all accompanied by live music from fiddler Ed Wright and guitarist Stu Dench
External links
- http://www.roslynwalker.com The official Roslyn Walker website
- http://www.facebook.com/roslynwalkerfans The Roslyn Walker fan page