The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-28 00:00:00

THE MARIONETTES.

The Lilliputian wooden company of the St. James'.
Theatre have not been bodied their full-grows brethren of
Bah and blood in the quality and attraction of their Christ-
mas fare. Tneir entertainments of last evening were ex-
ceedingly well got up, and well received by an 'salient
house. There was no attempt at the carious' or said-
mental, for which a company of Marionettes, however
cleverly managed, is entirely unlit. The absurd spasmodic
movements et puppet., their strange jerks and enutortioes,
which ell the ingenuity in the world cannot prevent,
put everthing like grave acting out of the question ;
while these very things give additional zest end piquancy
to a burlesque or extravaganza. We hare no doubt that
the management have been convinced of this, by their
recent attempt at serious opera ; for which, moreover, their
Inewisal means urn not adequate. But the pieces they gave
last night were tautly the things that they can accom-
plish moat successfully. Nothing could be more quaint or
eatertaining.
The first was a burlesque of Doe Giovanni, in which the
principal Incidents of this famous drama were travestied
after a most ludicrous fashion. The figures were capital.
The Don himself a ntagnifleent fellow', who stria' ted about
like a grandee of the first class ; Leporello, Donna Anna, the
Cummendatore, Dos Octavio, were all in excellent costume
sod keeping. The scenic effects of the spectre on hors,-
back and the diabolical banquet at the close, were admir-
able ; and the unearthly ineideats made a ridiculous con-
trast with the strange motions of the actors, and the lively
dogrel in which they delivered the dialogue. No attempt
' was made to sing the music of Nowt; but there sal a
great deal of pleasant musk—parodies of popular soups,
burlesques o' favourite opera sirs, ducts, popular
given
in as easy. off-band way, but always in good taste, and
very agreeably sung.
The principal performance of the evening was tile new
Christmas piece, Ali Bobo, or, a A sght with the Forty
Thieves; a piece of the same description with Doss I:4oellentr
but got up with still Armor splendour, It is hardly me-
(weary to sty, that it is a burlesque of the flue old mc In.
dream which rive such unbounded delight t, the boys and
girls of half a mutiny ago. The stirring incidents of the
Arabian tale are made laughable by the comic dialogue, full
of the Cockney phraseology of the day, and enlivened by
smart and pointed effusions ; cud the scenery and spectacle
are really beautiful. The mu.'.c, too, like that introduced
into Don Giovanni, though without pretension, is exceed-
ingly light and pretty.
Between these two pieces the "Ebony Marionetus" gave
their Ethiopian Eatertatninent of Negro and Yanks.
songs, which, as weld, was received with great applies*.

THE COLOSSEUM MOHO likely now to become one
of the most pepol.ir, as it has et rtainiy nlanyt bet n one of
tho very brat of the sights of Lefties'. Its increasing popo
laxity' promises to carte from a diminution of the peter of
admission front the anti. at 24. bd. to a shilling. Certainly

at the latter eat there is nothing more likel♦ to Entity'
holiday makers in Ibis greet metrtyulis. The picture 01
London by Night is a marvel in its way—tbe ►tatuary is
worts seeing—the mask attractive—the conservatorit a ere
good for their size, and the Swiss Cottage quite unique in
its way.
ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.—The optical
i department of this Institution sem ve•tt rday a source at
great attraction ; ro Ices than between 3,000 and 4,i500 pe-
wits were present. Nhakespezre's "Mt•isummer Night's
Ilreatn" illustrated form. 4 the novelty, in addition to the
tumid intellectual smuerment of science in ■ pspeinar form,
thu " E. diem Amusements of Chemistry," by Mr. Pepper ;
the "Philosophy of Scienittic Recreation,'• by Dr. Bach
hoffaer; and the lecture by Mr. Crisps, on "Ballooning, and
the present prospects of Aerial Navigation," girt/. ► pro.
gramme suitable to all capacities, and doing great credit to
the management of the instittoine.
WoODINII CARPET 13A0 AND SICETeII Row:, ADE-
LAII/1-11TOLIT TRZATRI.—Mr. W. 8. Woodin is ens of
the best artiste, after the manner of Mathews, we have yet
seen, and the success which has attended his " musieol
eccentric entertainment" proves that his ver•atile nl.tit►
are not lost upon the public. lie was unknown when tie
tint alytared in his present capacil ; hu! such is hi• power
of provoking merriment and good humolr, thct ul-
rcai.y established as a general and acknowledged " tavou•
rite."

BURFORD'S PANORAMAS, LEICESTER-SQUARE.—
The Alps, Waterloo, and Nineveh—Nature, History, and
Antiquities—were much in demand at Mr. Burford's well.
known institution in Leicester•square. In the first en or.be r
of the series, parties of visitors were ell:slaw ly arriving in
imagination on the summit of the Feulhorn, and Vence
surve/iug one of the must glorious scenes in the Ober'.and.
The rich hues and dream-like beauty of MID panorama were
enthusiastically admired. Is the next compartmet, the
animated and Lit-like painting of the latest decisive b eerie
of the world wan sunned with many recAlections ef the
great =enlist of that fetal field, and soma dieraaltiim
to ask where and when will the next great encounter
take place. The teeming old Mound of Nicau,ud
with the indefatigable Lai ard and his wonder-stnckrn
Arabs gazing upon the disclosed symbols of Assyrian
civilisation was, perhaps, less visited than it dteerved to be
The three panoramas here exhibited well Intritod the high
praise which they obtained.
BARTLETT'S DIORAMA OF JERUSALEM AND TILE
HOLT LAND, HU:It-PARK CORNER.—The name cf Mr.
W. Beverley, under whose direction this diorama has been
painted, is amply sufficient to testify to the merits of the
exhibition ; and as it is shortly to be closed, tie admirers
of pictorial entertainments would do well to bestow their
attention upon it at a period when every inducement and
excuse are offered fur a temporary neglect of business for
the sake of pleasure. The characteristics of this exhibition
—like all others of a similar nature—have @beady been
full/ described in the publiejournals, and therefore it need
only be said en the reeebt occasion that Bartlett'. Diorama
offers an opportunity for a "pilgrimage to the Holy Land,"
which may be aptly taken advantage of during the few
days that sacred subjects are appropriately connected with
our festivities.
• GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.—WELLINGTON CAM-
' DAIoNN.—This exhibition, which has now been oetn to the
public for several weeks, mad by received various additions
during that time, may not unfitly be mentioned amongst
the foremost 01 the entertainments which put forth their
claims to patronage at this holiday sea on. It is it, all re-
spects one of the most sue:essful panoremu which Las been
brought under our notice since exhib tions of this nature
hive achieved an incre.sed popularity in London. In a
recent notice in the IJ"ily News attention was drawn to the
three additional views which have lezen introduce-I .`nee
the funeral of the Duke—vie., the lying in sate et Chiba.*
Hospital, the funeral pr.cessiou puesing Nelson's Moon
merit, and the lowering of the coffin into the vault, It
only remains for us, thee, fore, to any that the c,,inple'i ness
which is now given to this interesting record of the illus-
trious hero's life and death is already xufficieutly *ppm-
I elated, and the visitors who thronged the exhihiti in yes-
terday afforded abundant evidence us to its superior worth.
TREGOLD FIELDSOFAUSTRALIA—HEGENY•SYREET.
—This interesting panorama, painted from sketches by
Mr. J. 8. Prone, is deserving of especial patronage, at a
time when the world of London is anxious to gain some
information upon a subject which absorbs universal atten-
tion. To those who are at preseat undecided as to w hether
the gold region* really present those attractive features
which have been pictured I/ us, this series of tableaux will
be found both instructive and entertaining, and it will
hardly be doubted that the efforts of Mr. Prout's vivid 1
pencil may be relied on for truthfulness of design as well
as admired fur their effect. Holiday-seekers caenot better
employ their time then by witneesieg a representation
which introduces them so agreeably to the gold-seekers.
WYLD'S GREAT GLOBE was visited by very large
crowd*, eager to take this ueportunity of seeing t''.e world.
In the hands of the intelligent and iliscriminaUng expo-
sitor of the globe, the exhibition, which might easily dege-
lilt° a pedagogical display, becomes a source of
living interest, and the spectator finds out in time that
useful knowledge Mat been palmed open him while he was
only roaming with Franklin in Arctic Seas, tracing the
overland rout* to India, or pursuiag the course of some
friend round the Cape to the Australian diggings.