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The Great Mephisto!

By Tony Lidington. A young Indian illusionist gets revenge on his cruel employer at the Egyptian Hall in the 1880s. Read by Madhav Sharma.

A series of three specially commissioned stories inspired by London's Egyptian Hall - 'England's Home of Mystery & Many Illusions', which stood in Piccadilly for most of the 19th Century. The recordings were made in front of an invited audience at the Concert Artistes' Association in Covent Garden.

London's Egyptian Hall was originally built in 1812 to house collections of curiosities brought back from the most remote and mysterious parts of the globe - from the South Seas, North & South America and Africa. But it soon became the venue for extraordinary spectaculars, panoramas and pseudo scientific demonstrations - such as Britain's first ever films, illusions, magic and freak shows. By the end of the 19th Century, it had become known as 'England's Home of Mystery and Many Illusions', under the management of the renowned magician, Maskelyne. It became the centre of magic and spiritualism where new acts were demonstrated and charlatans exposed.

The Great Mephisto! written by Tony Lidington

A young illusionist from the Punjab takes revenge on his cruel master.

Read by Medhev Sharma
Introduced by Tony Lidington as Alfred, Custodian of the Hall.

Producer: David Blount
A Pier Production for 大象传媒 Radio 4.

15 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Wed 13 Jan 2010 15:30
  • Sun 7 Aug 2011 19:45
  • Tue 29 Apr 2014 11:00
  • Tue 29 Apr 2014 21:00
  • Wed 30 Apr 2014 04:00