In Professor Hoffman's King Koko [ http://miraclefactory.net/zenstore/index......s_id=345 ], Louis Hoffman writes, "This book may, I believe, claim to be the first to present a drawing-room conjuring entertainment in the guise of a connected story."

Is it possible this work is in fact, the first published example of storytelling magical theater?

I know that Maskelyn's "Will, The Witch, and The Watchman" was a stage play with magical "special effects" presented in performance in 1873 in Britain's "Egyptian Hall" for general audiences, but from everything I can find, "King Koko" is the first to be specifically presented as a fairy tale for children. Its date of publication of the ebook version I have is 1904.

Do you know of any earlier published examples of storytelling magical theater?