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

HAYMARKET.

" The little theatre in the Haymarket," as it was
wont to he affectionately termed by its habitue's, is not es.
empty d hem the great national law which seems to compel
the managers of all the Ric temples of the metropolis
to solemnise the advent of Coristmu by the production of
• pantomime of the old legitimate pattern or a burlesque of
the more recently invented but now almost equally well-
worn device. T.l.e success of both depends on the skill of
their tethers in "shooting folly as it Mies:" bet the hits
of the ar' usually dealt out in the straightforward practical
manse of artillery practice on board the Bleellent, while
the other distributers Mt& tle Wows with sharp arrows
lip_pieB with /mama whtroi with satire.
Mr. Webster bevies en appreciating and peculiar audience
be air hr, does wisely to adhere to the more refined class of
prielhathlea, and aecurdiagly he last night favoarod his
with • mythical legend, which was distiognislsed
ehe tr fact of its hearing only one name, al-
th we were informed that no less than three persons
were concerned in bringing it into ezisteues. This most
unsuggestive title is Leo the Terrible, and the eseeeetors
are responsible for its entire merits or demerits, ea they
have gone to no other source for their saltiest than the
eatravegaat suggestioes of their own imaginations. They
have certainly grouped together a most anomalous 'nese
Wage of personages, who commit a variety of the meal
anaehrosiesis in en amusing although not strikingly novel
way.
We are tint introduced to Asap, who is to be taken es a
net of type of common sense, and who takes Ms teMad and
follower, Oay, to a mysterious country "es tilt an asset
of Bohemia," ruled over by Mr. Bland with hi sesswllensed
dignity sod unctuous grandiloquence as the Lemons poten-
tate, and inhabited by • race endowed with ON Mode of
varicose animals, which aptly mark their respective
trades. Those people bath eschewed the doctrine of
Commies &Aso, sad Wooed themselves murder the Amine.
tens of Unoommos Folly, and it is to bring them book to
their allegiance that &sop protects Norval de In earosa
(Mrs. L. 8. Bnekinghasojand his follower, Thatheemalebad
Potts (Keeley), in their crowds against
lim
stone), an individual with a wolf's head boteelte
match, who, being refused the hand of the Biag's ilossitter
(Mae Rees Bennett), threatens to attack big threw, sad
moreover does it.

Having yeetCrclay gives an analysis of the plot, it is as-
seeresary to follow** characters through their various
&muses. metal the impossible, though 4gbly
comic, d.-
Noume is attalsoll is which, by She We of their hirsute
eppessisges, they an res Sored to the role it IMMO& NM
and their satire isslilases.
The pins is wan*wrigsa, sad abscising with bits at
the social sad pillthal tyke et the day, mese ad whit* WM
✓eceived by the nalleaut with the want eselsene we gene-
s roily give so eM assaehilaase. Eneyhally will seder
stead the fen Keeley wakes en eta sailor of the
I tree T. I'. Cane type, who slags a delefal ditty to the tune
at All resod sty hat," and theasse a tine' beespipe with
the swat elaborate Surrepamellsei
Although set banally sraineetl. Lases Thrrible will
dealden OM Mend at assais. a Oleshlnas 'sumer.
wed whoa the assess are seen preset la *dr parts, eon-
rig sernsittaly win he posendwie dude.
The ealeanigwees was nseeded by the very dens piece
Maths aid Arm sod ths hilarity noshed its classiest.
1":11the sawdadlag Awes et lbw and Co, Married
4 011111. whisk misrules sestemasy nen.

The pantomime at this theatre is railed //arkpoin
rAorry wet Fair Star; or, Me Gyros Bird, tee DOW 1149
Wane, sad else Seeping Silver Tres. the subject being
=4, 4 by the winery story of the Construe d'kecsis.
pieces Irene( often remarkable for the elaborate-
Mee sr eriesiefterry ef their plots ; but the loves of Cherry
sad Pak ft Ns an aro slighter Waters the. is nasal eves for
peatoodetie herder end their swains. The Int scene is
the neutral ground of the Perin and Metres, whereon E yeti.
',arises and lljine Sliest, Me potentates of the antagonistic
sprites, meet, and quarrel em I. the possession of Fair Star.
At lesgth, they conclude a treaty, by virtue of which the
youeg lady, if she prove more impregnable to temptation
than Ler ancestress, Eve, is to betimes the bride of Print*
Clieribil or Cherry; but in the event of his Wien. ohs is to
be the prey of the monster Djinn—a fate frets which all
geed fairies award the matrons not lea than the " maids of
Merry Zealand." After this, the interior of Al-Serer
the Amiable, King of Cyprus, is exposed to the gage
of a British public. It 14 tenanted by some wore of
Interestine little princes and primmer, whose monkey
tricks would drive frantic as army of anon. Even the
sudden entry of the great AI-Seren himself dose not frown
quiet until be has takes summary vengeance with the
most splendid of birches ever made for the tribulation of
royal childhood epos the mast unlucky, if net the meet
refractory of the troupe. Priem Cherry is the eldest Ma's
hopeful brood, and far *seals them all le Belie and mischief.
I His treatment of Ilis infant brother is, to my the least of it,
meet reprehensible, and such, nee would have thought, ar
must have made him forfeit the kindly pa • of Evcri.
weriana. After the young Al-Serees have been sent to
bed, aa immense seesatice ie greeted by the arrival ef Fair
Star, their cies=jihfrom beeediareebeei ; whim the
et whole the bow NOM to net, dry ere doeserod
with a Atka Itaohoodoes oaniasaloalis do *on
the Obi labia Opt ram lady must eadsogo. Nut
.I Me la Militaidad to be shim be she
be bona eisioyal by Djlaa to *a am if bee
a parailimis rains% in the melon et Melo& PiTsbolati
Qella Met her the nature of the toot to whisk tee le sleet
Who submitted ; and certainly it does set Ni. mouth, far
' it le only to avoid tosehing two vases. We are leery, how.
ever, to say, that Me signally fails. A brief streak with

her curiosity, sad she sueeuntb•—• sad example of the
frailty of woman, but, cousidetiod the antecedents of the
' sea, perhaps sot mock to be wondered at. The results
that follow remind mho of the fate of Earidior, except that
the ter/repo, is emminn4d for by one bang upon a gong,
and the young lady is pounced upon end carried tiff bodily
t y the ACM*, indeed of Seeing back into the dr. ary biog.
dons of disembimßeil sheets. However, for the Princess
there i. &chasm of enamour not vouchsafed to the haphee
Grecian wife. Abe is recoverable, provided that her cousin
Cherry will peewee this green bird, the dancing
waters, and the Moping silver tree. Cherry at
once sets forth on en expedition to that end.
mounted is knightly guise, and attended by h:s faithful
squire Topaspal•Widela.'They soon arrive at the foot of M. Lunt
kook-assns. Cheery encounters the green bird, and puts
salt upon its tail; but it escapes up the mountain whither
it is punned by the gallant champion. As for poor Al-
Wideli, he is cruelly sot on by a swarm of Afrites. and
when the scene closes upon him, he is lying on the ground
in a most woeful plight. It seems, however, that every*
thing turns up right in the end, for Clurry and hi. squire
I return to Cyprus leading captive the Green Bird.
Everiweriana re-appears, and is about to betroth the
young couple, when Djion' not unnaturally, interposes an
obj, etion, namely, that Cherry had only fulfilled a]
third of his task. This the Peri overrules, perbars
not over justly, by ordering the transformation to
take place. Fair Star, into Columbine, Cherry into
flatlequin, Minn into Clown, and Al-Widdin into ,1
Pantaloon. The piece, whatever may be thought of the
story, has at least been made the pretest for the intro-
duetioa cf some really beautiful bits of spectacle. The
P.ri'e retreat is a lovely seine; and the Peris themselves
in their apparel of gauze and silver, with head dessert ei
In l'erucierene of [esthete formed of brilliants, were an
unusua:ly striking group. The snow-crown peaks of
Kork-asaus also deserved the highest praise. As for the
libretto, eacept a few Memo allusions to what looms in '
the future," and to Major Beresford's rabble," it call.
foe little notice. The heroine of the tight, or at least of
the induction, was a little girl (Mi.. Kite Terry) who
performed the part of Everiweriana with great cleverness,
and with well-owned applause. Mr. 'feline' Mr. Paulo
Mr. Coemack, and Min Carlotta Letle•eq, also sustained
the characters of Clown, Pantaloon, Harlequin, and Co-
lumbine, to the satisfaction of a crowded house.