Egyptian Hall
The Egyptian Hall is commonly known and advertised as England’s Home of Mystery, as this establishment at 170 Piccadilly has specialised magical entertainment. It has done so rather successfully throughout the many years of its existence, and certainly is the place to go should one wish to spend an evening enchanted by modern magic.
The name of this establishment derives from its unique Egyptian-style architecture. Indeed, when the building was completed in 1812, it was the first in England to be designed in this style. Today, it is still one of the most noticeable features of the southern side of Piccadilly. Various entertainments and exhibitions found their home here over the decades; yet, the extraordinary performances of Messrs. John Nevil Maskelyne and Alfred Cooke have been the most successful – their long-lasting engagement is a proof of this. Many well-known ‘automata’ (figures entirely motivated by mechanics) celebrated their debut in the Egyptian Hall, and just as many fraudulent ‘mediums’ were exposed on its stage. Messrs. Maskelyne and Cooke continue to bring novel, exciting spectacles to the stage of the Egyptian Hall, which never fail to amaze their audiences.
A performance of Maskelyne & Cooke is unmissable for lovers of this fine art.
Usually two performances daily at 3pm and 8pm. Admission: 1s, 2s, 3s & 5s.*
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*A note on currency: l. = pound, s. = shilling, d. = penny
The Unique Exterior of the Egyptian Hall
If you are interested in discovering more about magic in the metropolis, please go to Magic.
The Egyptian Hall remained ‘England’s Home of Mystery’ until 1905, when the Hall was demolished in order to erect blocks of flats and offices – Maskelyne and Cooke’s run there lasted 31 years. After that, they moved to St. George’s Hall in Langham Place, off Regent Street, where the Maskelyne family celebrated their Diamond Jubilee in 1933.
