Ching Lau Lauro and Professor Ching were the stage names of a juggler and magician (1806?–1840; flourished 1827–1839) who performed outdoors and in theatres in London and the provinces. His real name is unknown; he was possibly Italian and he was popularly known as Ching. He was the first magician in Europe to perform the aerial suspension illusion, possibly the first to use limelight,See image of playbill where he is advertised to be using koniaphostic light (limelight): :File:Herne Bay Museum 090.jpg and one of the earliest Western magicians to perform in Chinese costume.
Background
Origins and identity Little is known about the early life of the performer known as Ching Lau Lauro and his real name is unknown. He was possibly born around 1806 or even a little later, although his short career spanned 1827 to 1839. His stage name was Ching Lau Lauro. He was also known as Professor Ching, and popularly referred to as Ching.Ridgely Evans, Henry, History of Conjuring and Magic (International Brotherhood of Magicians, 1928) ASIN B000VNQZEQ Retrieved 14 December 2013Magicpedia: Ching Lau Lauro Retrieved 14 December 2013 He was not Chinese, and although a Cornish background has been suggested, no evidence has been given for that.Live Austioneers: Ching Lau Lauro poster of 1832 Retrieved 14 December 2013. Below the poster it says he was a Cornish ventriloquist His advertisements included an act called "imitation of a Chinese juggler" and he was one of the earliest Western magicians to dress as a Chinese man. In an early entertainment bill of 1827 he is promoted as a "primo buffo from Venice;" however, the misspelling on that playbill of "Lau" as "Law" might indicate an anglicised pronunciation of the name.Entertainments bill of New Royal Pavilion, Whitechapel Road, London, Monday 3 September 1827. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro1827.jpg Ching shared some characteristics with Lauro Cecconi, a bandmaster of the Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) who was born in Venice around 1907. He was described as a "well-proportioned person."
Possible circus background
It is possible that Ching's particular entertainment skills might indicate that his background was among Cornish travelling showpeople who travelled and performed at circuses and fairs between March and November. Some had winter quarters in Cornwall, and some, like Ching Lau Lauro, might have been fortunate enough to perform indoors in the winter. However there is no evidence of that background.Cornwall's Diversity Action Group: A brief guide to gypsies and travellers in Cornwall (downloadable pdf file) Retrieved 14 December 2013. The fact that he performed "postures, equilibriums, evolutions and attitudes" in the character of a Buffo at Vauxhall Gardens in 1827, 1828 and 1834 might support several theories about his background, since many of the Vauxhall performers were from a circus background, or were Italian or Chinese.Ching Lau Lauro Retrieved 14 December 2013.
Private life In September 1839, a William Creaser (18), alias 'Ching Lauro', was arrested for robbery. Creaser was so named as he was supposedly once a servant of the conjuror. He was detained until the Spring Assizes, sentenced to 12 months prison, and died of inflammation of the lungs on 8 November 1840.
The conjuror himself was said to have died in London sometime between 19 and 26 January 1840, not long after his last performance. His brief obituary under his stage name, copied verbatim in several newspapers, describes him as "the celebrated conjuror".The Bury and Norwich Post, and East Anglian, Bury St Edmunds, Wednesday, 29 January 1840, Issue 3005. "Died last week"Stamford Mercury, Lincolnshire, 31 January 1840: Wednesday and Thursday's Posts: "Died last week"Cambridge Independent Press 1 February 1840: Births, Marriages & Deaths: "Died last week" He made good money and was also sometimes a philanthropist: in 1834 he donated £4 8s 6d, the proceeds of a single day's performance, to the York Dispensary which gave medicines to the poor.York Herald 1 November 1834: "York Dispensary"
Career
Ching Lau Lauro's advertisements and popularity lasted between 1827 and 1839, after which the brief history before his death in January 1840 is unknown. He was first advertised as a juggler and then also, from 1834, as a ventriloquist and magician. His notices included "feats of strength and gymnastic exercises" and in the 1830s he described himself as "ventriloquist, melodist, naturalist and magician."The National Archives: Shropshire archives, ref. 665 Retrieved 14 December 2013. Thomas Frost says that he started with posturing and balancing performances in 1828, then by 1835 he was a conjurer and ventriloquist, showing at "theatres and assembly rooms of many provincial towns, varying his entertainment with buffo songs." He could "[balance] acrobatically on two chairs and [dance] the hornpipe on his head." Following a fashion for representing historical scenes on stage, in the late 1830s he played Agrippa. There were many Roman Agrippas, but he may have been playing the Renaissance German magician.
In 1834 he played at The Theatre, Leeds.Playbill for Theatre, Leeds, Monday 22 September 1834. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 1834.jpg
Aerial suspension illusion
This was also referred to as the Broomstick Illusion or simply Suspension. From 1832 or 1833 he would juggle with balls, "sitting in the air upon nothing:" a version of the Suspension illusion.EB Classic Encyclopaedia 1911 Retrieved 14 December 2013. Explains the secret of how Ching Lau Lauro performed the Suspension Illusion from 1835 At that time he omitted some of the singing from his act and added the Suspension as the climax. Previous instances of Suspension are unknown in Europe.Houdini, Harry, Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (New York, Publishers Printing Co., 1908) (Kindle edition: ASIN B003P9X4BA) Retrieved 14 December 2013. The trick of "sitting in the air upon nothing" did not use a different method from Robert Houdin's Ethereal Suspension illusion, which was performed using broomsticks and an empty ether bottle more than ten years later in 1849.magicpedia: Aerial Suspension Retrieved 14 December 2013. However the originality of Robert-Houdin's magic has been discredited, and Ching Lau Lauro advertised similar feats before anyone else in Europe did.Houdini, Harry, The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (NY, The Publishers Printing Co., 1908 Retrieved 14 December 2013. "Houdini discredits the originality of Robert-Houdin's magic"
Performances
His act
He began his theatre career by diverting the audience with a few tricks between plays, but by 1834 he was providing the whole programme at Wolverhampton's Assembly Rooms. These were on the first floor of the County Court building, built 1829 in Queen Street. The performance was in three parts. In Part I he demonstrated the Chest of Archimedes and the Column of Rosbach. These were entertaining pieces of mechanical apparatus previously shown at the cabinet of curiosities in Paris. This was followed by numerous illusions, including A Game at Whist, Time Flies, The Wax Candles Enchanted, Elephant of Knowledge, Vulcan's Forge, Miraculous Printing, Flying Watch, Magic Bottle, Apples of Beelzebub, Magic Eggs and Loyal Metamorphose. Part II began with a ventriloquist act called Rogueries of Nicholas. He followed this by whistling various birdsong impressions.Realistic birdsong impressions performed on YouTube, demonstrating that it is a skill, done without special props or equipment This popular party piece was developed via a "variety of scenes and characters drawn from nature, introductory of His Surprising Powers of Imitation" in which he contorted his face, told stories and performed tricks of ventriloquism. In Part III he performed "feats of strength in the character of a Chinese buffo", suggesting that in Parts I and II he was most likely wearing the customary evening dress of the Victorian theatre magician, and that such a costume was less suitable for acrobatics than loose Chinese pyjamas. The strongman act was followed by "gymnastic exercises" or acrobatics involving bodily contortions with a balancing act. Last of all came the climax of the performance: the Aerial Suspension Illusion. In certain theatres he used to ban sale of tickets to the gallery, because the view from there might betray the secret of the illusion.
Appearances
His performances are known mainly through the playbills, handbills, newspaper advertisements and theatrical reviews of the period. In 1827 he performed on 25 July at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket, and on 3 September at the New Royal Pavilion, Whitechapel Road, London.The Times, Wednesday, 25 July 1827; p. 2; Issue 13340; col B Theatre Royal, HaymarketNew Royal Pavilion, Whitechapel Road, London playbill of Monday 3 September 1827. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro1827.jpg
At some point in 1828 he appeared at the Royal Coburg Theatre between various plays, and in the opening scene of the third act of Tom and Jerry, at the Theatre Royal, Norwich in April, he is described as 'the celebrated posture master and buffo from Drury Lane'. On the 10th he performed in a harlequinade, entitled, The Man in the Moon. Two playbills show that in the same year he was at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 2 January, and at the Royal Pavilion, Whitechapel Road on 18 February.Playbill for Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 2 January 1828. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 1828.jpg)Playbill for Royal Pavilion, Whitechapel Road, London, Tuesday 19 February 1828. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 19 Feb 1928.jpg) On 7 July 1828 he was performing at Vauxhall Gardens. His name appears in advertisements in the Times of 1828: he was performing at Sadlers Wells on 24 November, at the Adelphi Theatre and Sadlers Wells on the same night of 26 November, and at Sadlers Wells again on 1 December.The Times, Monday 24 November 1828; p. 2; Issue 13758; col A "Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane This Evening," Ching Lau Lauro performs at Sadlers Wells; he is described as being "from Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and Vauxhall."The Times, Wednesday 26 November 1828; p. 2; Issue 13760; col C, "To Correspondents". He performs at Adelphi Theatre and Sadlers Wells on the same night.The Times, Monday 1 December 1828; p. 2; Issue 13764; col A. Advertisement, "Sadlers Wells"
On 15 September 1830 he performed for royalty at the Brighton Pavilion. On 13 February 1832 he was playing outside London, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon.Playbill for Royal Shakespearian Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Monday 13 February 1832. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 1802.jpg) This was the old Shakespeare Memorial theatre which burned down in 1826, to be replaced in April 1932, just over 100 years after Ching Lau Lauro played there. On 2 February 1833 he played at Leicester. On 19 April 1834 he was playing at Huntingdon. On 30 April and 1 May 1834 he was at the Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford. In the same year he was playing at The Theatre, Leeds, West Yorkshire, on 15–19, 22 and 23 September.Playbill for Theatre, Leeds, Monday 22 September 1834. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 1834.jpg)Playbill for Theatre, Leeds, Tuesday 23 September 1834. See :File:Ching Lau Lauro 23 Sep 1834.jpg) At Leeds he presented his ventriloquism, a piece called "Seraglio" and some new "Surprising Feats".Leeds Times, 13 September 1834: "Theatre, Leeds" (promotion) He was booked for 10–14 November 1834 at Newcastle.