Enchanted Shows

Enchanted Shows, authored by Elissa Hare and published in 2017 by the Taylor & Francis Group through its Routledge imprint, is a scholarly examination of the historical and cultural significance of Victorian-era stage magic and theatrical illusions. It emerged from a broader academic interest in performance studies and the history of popular entertainment, aiming to map how technological developments in lighting and stagecraft transformed the audience experience during the nineteenth century.

The book provides a rigorous analysis of how stage magicians utilized nascent cinematic and mechanical techniques to create a sense of wonder, effectively blurring the lines between science and spectacle. Designed to serve as a resource for historians and theater practitioners alike, the work situates magic within the context of industrial modernity, framing the 'enchanted' theatrical performance as a reaction to the rationalism of the Victorian period.