Magicians and illusionists were popular acts. J.N. Maskelyne
and his son Nevil Maskelyne ran the
Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly which specialised in magic and illusion. Here
they developed acts that still intrigue audiences today, such
as sawing a woman in half.
In 1893 they were joined at the Egyptian Hall by David Devant,
who performed illusions such as ‘Vice Versa’ where he changed
a man into a woman. He also performed the first stage performance
in London of the
Indian Rope Trick. Devant was the magician at the first Royal
Variety Performance in 1912.
Houdini the great American escapologist was also very popular
in Britain, appearing at the Alhambra
Theatre in 1900, billed as ‘The Handcuff King’. His act
included escaping from handcuffs provided by the local police.
He went on to escape from a tank of water in which he was held
upside down by his feet and padlocked.
Character Songs
Aerial Acts
