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

STRAND.

This littlo house opened last night for a season of
"one month only " (to quote the bills). The entertain-
ments commenced with Bellini's opera La Nennereshisfo,
Mica Rebecca Isaacs being the Amino, Mr. 11. cry Manley
the Elvin., Mr. Henry Corn the Cowie, and Mr. Frederick
Alleesi There was little to praise in the perform-
ance, with the exception of Miss Isaaces Amine, which was
worthy of better support than Wall affird.ni by the ineffi-
cient arrangements. Indeed, hut for the really clever *hu-
hu and acting of that lady, the opera, as given last night,
would have been scarcely tolerable. Mr. Manley (the
tcnor), althritmle possessing buta small voice, sang with some
taste and feeling, especially in the scene "Al Is lost now."
With throe exceptions, the performance b tined signs of
taste and want of prepaentiou rarely met with in a London
theatre. The specie's) of the evening, however, wee
!War I'arky's Petite Grand Cowie thresinens Pantomime
e.f Harlequin and Chilhar, or the Clown is Lilloped, sus-
t .ined by the living Marionettes. It wag painful to see
theme really clever little children so cruelly misplaced in
their attempts to emery on • sustained pantomimic action,
which is DUI trying even to the physique, of en adult.
The tiny Harlequin, Columbine, l'aiitaltmo, and Clown,
esp. ci illy the letter, exert. d themselves to the ut-
most of their intantine powers • hut the patience of
the audience, long exercised, became at length ea-
r beast el, and the pantomime was huddled up to
an shrupt and inglorious conelmion—o heats, attempt
be anticidate the last scene displayed the bare brick walls at
the back of the stage, and ono of the stage carpenters
ihinet a frantic elfin to tie a Catherine wheel, which,
hue ever, was not destined to explode, a storm of disappro.
be ice, bringing down the curtain prentature:y. Oae of the
features announced in the hills was the e.irly ronellusion of
the performances ; but at midnight Mediu was commenced
in termination of the evening's entertainments. Without
borne improvem, tit in the arrangenseists it seems doubtful
seLather even the " short season" cont. widened at this
house will not prove too long for-the public.
1

SURREY.
irsie!c To7l7S—Cabiti, continuing its career of Wl.a-
-bated success, formed last night the piece de resistance with
which it is usual at ti is and other theatre§ to preface the
pleat Christmas attraction.. The audience was in boxiag-
night terce, end exhibited as much patience as audiences
are wont to do on such occasions; hot a delay of some hour
and a qnarter between the onnelstlion of the " clock "
drama and the commencement of the pantomime was a sore
trial to their powers of forbearance. Unmistekeable cigos
of disea•isfaction in the boxes, a few unrehearsed com-
bat. in the pit and galleries, end a general call
for the " manager," brought at length an apology
from that important personage, who explained that
the difficulties of getting the complicated machinery into
action on the first night was the cause of the appestat
want of punctuality. In a few minutes afterwards the
curtain drew up and the opening scene of llar:equin and
the World of Rowers. or the Fairy of the !fora apart
the Sprite of the Ni'ver Star, effectually dispelled every
niptom of discnntent. The pantomime is put upon the stage
ins manner which reflects great credit oath.) eatehlishment.
The scenery is in many respects meenifi,ent, especially the
Lake of Waterlilies, the Valley of Bluebells, med Ileum of
Fa'ry Flowers, where the transformations take place, and
the tableaus in this last scene are uraneed with a degree
of taste and elegance combined with a gorvousuese of
colour which, except perhaps in one or two instances at
Madame Veatris's theatre, we have never seen ;Equalled.
The parts in the introduellea and in the harlequinade were
efficiently filled by Muss Labatt as the " fast" star, Mr.
Milano as Harlequin' Mr. Beck am Clown, Mr. Bradbury
as r o,ta:oon, Herr Wilkand 5101ino as Sprite, and Mies
Annie Cusbnie as Columbine. There was also 10100 very
graceful dancing executed by Mdlle. Therese Cushuie.
The pi,ce was, eminently successful, snit will doubtless have
a very considerable ^ ran."

The pantomime oiifsKtMed house of entertain-
ment is another of Mr. Eels-in Lee's. It is entitled For-
tni,o und hie Horse Cowed., rout the ,ere•-e;iftet
The rising of the eur.ain discloses the " Realms of Night,"
with the Sprites of Night dancing a mystic mused. Pre- 1
sently the Fairy Pomona app.-an, and dispatches them to
meet their Queen, Sunlight, in Fairyland. The stars dies' -
p. sr; and the scene changes to the Fairy Court, who are
assembled to join the Christmas sports. The Fairy Queen,
Sunlight, ri .w arrives, alb:radii' by a brilliant cavalcade.
She desc,uds from her sunlight car, and announces to the
assembled court that the Emperor Altomite, of No Man's
L3llll, haring lost his treasure, has determined to raise •
militia, for tno purpose of reclaiming is from the Prince
Fat de Ral. A certain nobleman sends Lis three d iughten
disguised as three young men, to assist in the ristorst Oa ;
the two eldest being exceedingly haughty, the Queen
resolves to punish them, and to protect Parto-
ok., the youngest, for her amiable disposition.
The three sisters are next seen travelling towards
Fairyland. Thu Queen, disguising herself as an old
shepherd' se, wan discovers on whom to bestow the prise ;
the two eldir sisters are sent bark forthwith, and Fortunio
is presented with the horse Comrade and the seven gifted
servants. He sets forth to seik his fortune. Comrade
carries him to the palace of the Emperor, to whom For-
tunio offers his setvicee, and captivates the heart of tile
Emperor's sister, who has no suspicion that he is a female.
'the Emperor's dumisions are ravaged by • fiery dragon,
and Fortunio undertakes to rid the island of this fiend.
We are next introduced to the "Dragon's Haunt," where
Fortunio's servant, Lightfoot, arrives, followed by Tippler,
who drinks the river dry. Strongliack then makes his ap-
pearance, with • hogshead of wino ou his shoulaers, and
pours it into the channel of the river; the dragon comes
from his ease, and being thirsty, drinks heartily of the
wine, which produces the usual effect. Fortunio takes ad-
vantage of his inebriety to tut off his head. The next
'tone is the "Crochet Chamber," hang with crochet work
in the palace of Prices Fal de Ital. Fortunio demands a
restoration of the treasurys ; the Prince laughs at the
claim, but promises to rioter* them when a man
can be found to eat a load of fluid suSeient for
the whole army. Gobblers is introduced, who speedily
causes the bread to disappear; the river drained by
Tippler in like manner; and ultimately Stroogliack carries
off the treasures. They roach the Emperor's palace i a
safety ; and, the fairy appearing, the usual transformations
take place. The Empress becomes Harloyein (Mr. Mel-
bourne Mier); Po/tinier. Columbine (Mdlle. Christi's) ;
the Princess, Pantaloon (Mr. Prioroon); Lightfoot, Sprite
(Me. A. Hemming); and Strongback, Clown (Mr. U.
The usual fun and frolic moue, and clever hits
are introduced at the popular talks of the day, political
ores being carefully excluded. The entertainment went
off remarkably well. We must not omit to notice that the
performances commenced with what may be called an
equestrian version of the ismottaustibio Uncle Tom's bisOWs.
The extraordinary merit of this piece is established by the
fact that it commanded the uniatorroptod attention, for up-
wards of two hoary, of a " boxing-night" audience as-
sembled to witness a pantomime. This may be putty
owing to the largo preponderance of comic manses, some if
which were quite equal in humour to any part of the pan-
tomime. The fidelity of the representation to Mrs. Stowe's
tale may be judged from the feet that the last scene is a
sword combat between Camay and Lame.