MASKELYNE AND COOKE’S
THE GREAT LONDON MASTERY MAKERS.
AT THE PUBLIC HALL. HASTINGS.
Maskelyne and Cooke’s is at Hastings. Maskelyne is not, and Cooke is not, but the great “Magical Entertainment of the Egyptian Hall, in all its completeness and its reason-defying mysteriousness,” has been given all this week at the Public Hall, where it remains until next Saturday, and being the greatest thing of its kind on earth, should not be missed by anyone who has not seen it. It is a highly unsatisfactory show for the people who insist that they know how it is done, for their chance is a very small one, but to those who are content to wonder and admire I is a never-ceasing source of delight. The illusions are entirely successful, and are all carried out under conditions which seem to defy the most searching criticism, and in addition to these there is the finest and most artistic sleight-of-band performance ever seen on a local stage.
The programme opens with a fantasy, entitled “The Gnome’s Grot,” a sort of dramatic interlude, the dialogue of which, considering it is a mere setting for a number of illusive tricks, is extremely amusing and well carried out. The scene is a cave near Killarney, and Mr Howard Crispen, as a German tourist, and Mr. Bert, as an Irish guide, manage to work in a good deal of quaint humour between the mysteries. Tables fly about in the air, golden bowls, goblins, and Miss Marie Curtis as the Sphinx, evolve apparently out of nothing, and finally Miss Curtis, now become the German’s love Gretchen, turns into Mr. Mackenzie the Gnome, and vice versa at a moment’s notice, under a loose cloth thrown over her figure. It is highly mysterious, but less effective than what follows, because the back of the stage is dark, and in front one is dazzled by two brilliant lamps. Then come the “Experiments in Pure Sleight-of-Hand,” by Herr Valadon, who has brought this science to such a fine point that can palm forty coins of different sizes in one hand at the same time. After he has caused a silk handkerchief to disappear out of glass lamp chimney before very eyes, without removing, or apparently without removing, his palms from either end of the chimney, and done many marvellous things with a most appealingly confidential air, though he was striving to make you understand how it was done, and you would not —after all this he brings forth Madame Valadon, and the two give an exhibition of “thought-reading,” which is much more wonderful than any of the so-called supernatural or spiritualist performances one so often meets with. Madame Valadon is seated on a wooden platform on four legs, which seems to preclude any electrical communication; she is blindfolded, and not a word passes Herr Valadon’s lips from the moment he has received the article to be described till the lady describes it. Besides this she plays a game of nap between two of the audience, telling them what cards are in their hands and how to play them, executes a “knight’s tour" on a numbered board from any square chosen by the audience, and (still blindfolded) adds columns of figures written on a blackboard total stranger.
The last and most striking item on the programme is the satire on Spiritualism called “Mrs. Daffodil Downey’s Seance,” in which occurs the great and unrivalled cabinet trick, which has lately been the subject of much litigation and discussion. Everyone knows the nature of this illusion, but no one who has not seen it can realise the bewildering openness and freedom from every sign of trickery with which it is done. The lights are full on, the cabinet apparently three feet from the nearest scenery, and one can see between it and the ground, and, moreover, it is put together before one’s very eyes. A walking-stick put into it while it is most obviously empty is immediately afterwards waved out of the top, and then handed out of one of the curtained openings. It is true this does not prove the presence of anyone in the cabinet, for the same stick proceeds to walk about the stage with no one near it, but this is followed by violin playing, arms and faces in the curtained aperture, and finally the doors open and a substantial and obviously earthly representation of the Spirit the late Lady Staid is men within.
The animated photographs are excellent, the sea cave in Galicia, and the scenes on Castle liner. The entertainment remains at the Public Hall next week, and there are matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at three; evenings at eight.

Bexhill-on-Sea Observer, samedi 19 août 1899, p. 2. 

Messrs. Maskelyne and Cooke open their entertainment at the Public Hall, Hastings, on Monday next, September 19th, for one week only. Afternoon performances wille be given on Wednesday and Saturday at three p.m. Plan, tickets, and programmes may be obtained at Messrs. Slade's Musice Stores, 7, Wellington-place, and Grand-parade, St. Leonards.

Hastings and St Leonards Observer, Hastings, samedi 17 septembre 1904, p. 5.