The Express.
London, England, 1865-12-27 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS,

THE IRISTMAS AMUSEMENTS. whole not la foe there wee an audience In pit and gallery
eutedestly characteristic of Boxieg-nitlit. balk la Buober°
sad in alight salaam at the Weaning of the iiveclur.
Once more the great theatrical festival bait gold abated entirely mate the lallitence of
Ulf, tin-toil, gauze petticoats, bismuth, gas-tens, ! however, s
and all the heterogeneous elements which compose 1M Puldtittemos.
a stage "Christmas piece " has come round, and the
liriglish language is found to be too poor and too
limited to describe in play-bills the brilliant scenes ;
and gorgeous spectaelea which last night were set
before tee admiring British public. Hitanical dic-
tionaries, Greek Lexicons, Italian, German, and
Trench word-books, the nomenclature of natural
history, repositories of medical and chemical
knowledge, and other books in which long
and full-sounding words are to be discovered, I
have been ransacked managers to
find titles for glittering "transformation scenes."
Troops of pantomimists from various parts of the
country said somewhat unfashionable quarters of
London have suddenly cast off their nationality,
aid with the gaudy garments of pantomime have
put on names that savour more of Florence, Tim-
buctoo, or Constantinople, than of Whitechapel or
Stoke-in-the-Hole. That very useful, but very re-
tiring labourer in the theatrical vineyard—the stage
carpenter, pale and fishy-eyed with overwork and
want of sleep, worried by the scenic artist and '
nervous figurantes, who object to be suspended in
mid-air, or to descend in the quivering mass of
ironwork which represents a fairy oar in the eyes of
the audience, blames the hour when the last pans
of coloured fire are lighted at the wings for the
final tableau, and he is free to seek his uneasy
couch, and dream over his triumphs and his failures.
Dressmakers, property men, and the crowd of
people who work for theatres, feel sudden relief, ,
followed by a want of occupation, an " aching
void" which it is difficult to till up, and gas companies
are alternately beseeched and commanded by excited
managers to increase their illuminating power.
In pieces which depend so much upon gas as these
Christmas spectacles the explosion of a gasometer
at a gas-works is a serious calamity, which may cut
up a scene, and may probably close a theatre.
The pantomimel this year am still in the ascen-
dant. Drury Lane and Covent Garden are faith-
ful to these entertaiuments ; all the local
theatres, from the Marylebone in the far west to
the Pavilion in the far east, are dependent
upon harlequinades with burlesque introductions.
The transpontine theatres—the new Surrey,
Astley's, and the Victoria—rely upon similar attrac-
tions ; the new Highbury theatre produces its first
pantomime ; and it is only the central houses which
are satisfied with the lighter form of entertainment
—the extravaganza, without the pantomimic addi-
tion. Those who want broad burlesque will find
scarcely anything to suit their tastes this season.
Operatic burlesque has possession of the Strand and
the Prince of Wales's ; classical burlesque is found at
she New Royalty ; extravaganza at the Olympic ; the
Haymarket has taken French comic opera, with a
burlesque rendering by Mr. Planchti ; the Adelphi
promises to adopt the same course ; the Lyceum
relies upon its new drama, produced on Christmas-
eve ; the Princess's upon drama, and the St.
James's upon a piece of the " Critic " order, which
is a mixture of farce and burlesque.
The music halls, emboldened by a recent legal
decision, which was not remarkable for firmness or
a knowledge of the subject, have produced bslleta
where their stage-room would permit of such per-
formances ; and horse-riding flourishes at the Agri-
cultural Hall. The Crystal Palace and the Polytech-
nic each offer special Christmas attractions, and holi-
day-keepers can hardly complain that Loudon is
backward in providing amusements to suit every
taste and every pocket.

ADELPHI.
A Boxing-night andienee, soberly exuberant with
Bed's-eight pod temper, and without the &Moieties of
Mr ordinary 13ozing-idght phallus, was aseembled here
lest night. Mr. Jefferson " Rip Vas Winkle," and the
foot of Mr. Teole's Mum from his provincial tour, were
held to be suffloient maiteresat even foe Christmas time,
and the remit allowed that the management thoronghly
towdersiond the publie to whom it appealed. Pit. patch
sad boxes were crowded, quiet, and attoative. Every
point, both humorous and pathetic, told, sad if Mr.
Jefferson had heard of the conventional attributes of the
people who dock to theatres on Boxing-night, he munt have
been mightily astonished at the thoughtful and appreciative
attestiou be paint commanded yesterday evening.
"Behind lime,* a genial piece of absurdity in roe act,
* Kr. Beelansin Webster, junior, was the seedhun
io
which Mr. Tools received the welcomes of his asikaidastla

•
bleeds.
Mr. Toole, besides being interrapted by cheers and
laughter every time be winked or smil d
edasnottooe, was lou
repe-
dly called
for at the termination of the pleat, and lin
tition until further notice. Mr. Jefferson wheu Rip Yen
'Winkle... stage trails were enealuded, reWived a similar
compliment, adßoxingaight at the Adel* osaviodagly
proved that an average middle elms audisaes may be both
attracted and amused even at the season when clown and
pantaloon are an institution by the repetition of a drama
with which they are familiar, and with the mare appearance
of liti actor of genius when Impersonations they have
learned to UM).
.-------

STRAND.
The success of Mr. F. 0. Burnand'e opera bur-
kepi% " L'Alriskine," the meek of which Is by Mr. S.
Mimeses, 'cedars erry change enamors:yet this theatre.

ST. 'TAXES' S.
The Ohristmu novelty provided for the *lona
of this theatre takes the form of a " matansorphosed.
olispodridisal, boyond-gal-liumnfrieal, extravaganzical,
peetomimical, and entirely nondescriptical rehearsal. called
"Beam to Remember the Grotto ; or, the Macagereas in a
Fix." This piece wan adaptation, by Mr. John 0:oohed, of
"Harlequin Hoax," a burlesque by the indefatigable Tom
Dibdin, prodtosed at the Foglish Opera HOO/6 In Await,
1814.
The sew scenery by Mears. T. Grieve and Son deserves
the very highest praise, and last night rewired it from a
delighted holiday podium The new piece wsa preceded
by "The School for Scandal," which was very well played,
bat naturally received with comparative indifferent,* by
hearers longing for more seasonable food.

NEW ROYALTY.
The success of " liion " is • tradition et this
theatre—a feet which probably accounts for the production
of &pother burlesque ea • plea ded sabjeet as the Ottristanaa
pins. Prometheus is, however, a subject which presents
few points of which mach might be cede even in the hands
of an experienced writer of burlesque like Mr. Bummed. la
thole of Mr. Reece, who has attempted it on this *wagon,
it is evert lees successful den might have been expected.
It ia, however, fair to say that the weakness of the barlesque
obtains no earistaaoe from the liberality of the manage-
seat It is put in the shape in as economical a any as
posaible—the dresses do not appear to be new, the deacon.
&ions are shabby, and the scenery is simply detestable. A
" Boxiounight" audience is, however, seldom critical, sod
the efforts of the anion, against very disadvaatageotui
°intimateness, were received in most eases with boisterous
applause.

DRURY LANE.
Mr. E. L Blanchard hall 94 %hie orAmin gond
above the fanciful regions of pantomime into the more sha-
dowy and transeendesital realms of metaphysic,. In
"Little King Pippin, or Harlequin Fortnuatua and the
Magic Purse sad Wishing Cep,* sot °sly are the sofficientiv
amusing adventures of the hero depicted in • spirited
manner, but the myeterions antagonisms ot Real and Ideal,
Mammon and Fancy, Wealth of Imagination and
a good balance at the bankers dimly shadowed forth.
The vocal powers of Mr. Henri Drayton oonsiderably
strengthen the opening wee, and Miss Augusts Thomson
rendered very prettily a sparkling air of Odenbarl'a, but
the triumph of the evening was Master Percy Basilica
drum song (vociferously encored). Indeed, the success of
Master Roselle as King Pippin is the only possible justifi-
cation for keeping a perfect myriad of children on the stage
when the poor little things ought to have been put to
bed hours before. But these juvenile spectacles seem
to be growing more attractive every year, and we suppose
it is melees to imagine • demand for exhibitions of
this kind will fail to produce a corresponding supply,
In the harlequirsade no falling off was visible, and
those graceful Columbines, Mesdames Boleno and L.
Morgan, were capitally supported by Meagre. Coma& and
Saville, as Harlequins ; Messrs. Harry Boletio and C. Lauri,
es Clowns ; and Messrs. Barnes and Morris, as Psntaloons.
Messrs. Falconer and Chatterton have been profuse in their
expenditure, and deserve • rich reward for their enterpriae,

PRINCESS'S.
Owing to the popularity of Mr. Charles Beade's
drone of " It is Nemec too Late to lased; Mr. George Visiog
is soisbied to disperse with a Christmas pieos, end to nave a
large ontlny which will help to put another great drama on the
deg.. .............

PRINCE OF WALES'S.
At this pretty little theatre, which it may be
convsaient to may is in Tottenhambtrest, Tottenham-court.
read, Mr. Henry .1. Byron undertakes to illustrate a kind
of amatory and connubial chaos from a condo point of
vise. In his burlesque, "Letiet Do Giovanni. or
Leporello and the Stone Statue," hehs followed the plot of
the opera with sufficient closeness tamd say further
acoonot of it unnecessarylt with a grand
scone by Mr. Charles James, entitled the "Winter Gardens
of the Fairies," the comiection of which with Don Gio-
vanni we do not pretend to follow. At the cline of the
performance everybody connected with this most suavest.
fal burlesque was called before the certain.

ABTLIII^3.
The title of the pantomime at this theatre ls the
eittnewhat lag roe Cl " Harlequin Tom, Tom, the PiperGi
Bon, Pope Joan Mel Little Bopeep, or Old Daddy Langley
and the Pig that went te Market End the Pig that stayed at
Home.' Altogether the pleat pawed at exceedingly well,
aed to the apparent eatielsotion Cl a cromisil hoses. Yr.
Boodle made as excellest Oboe ; Mimeo Emma Owls aad
Grosvenor acquitted themselves well as Ostambiass,
esd
Mr. Natal and Wee Father Austin as Harlequin sad Hark-

SADISM'S WELLS THEATRE.
The Christmas attraction at this thesis* ia a new
burlesque pantonshas, from the pm of Mr. Charles Mill-
ward, author of last year's Christmas pleas at the sireward,
establishment The title of the new prodeotion is Coa.a.
dootlkdoe ; or, Harlequin Prima Chantieker and the
Princess of the Golden Valley. The ac•nery has been
painted by Mr. W. A. Boma,* Mr. F. Matthews, and
amirtanta The Moidental mute has been arranged by
Mr. T. Berm end the pantomime has been produced:llpda
the immediate personal waperistendeaes of Mim Marriott.
In addition to the fiedler's Well matornizse Mr. =ward
has written the Christmas phase for the 'Theatres Royal
Livapeol and Birmingham, and for several other provincial
theatres.

ALHAMBBA.
This great Theatre of Varieties, which is now the
property of • public eoeipeay, under the managing director-
ship of Mr. F. Strange, is not bellied the Laid Ohmaberlain s
houses in providing • full sad spisedid Otristense ester-
tainmest foe the holiday makers. Two new ballets lave
been produced. the rammed cost of which Is about 2,5001.,
one embellished with • Gately sad elaborate &oranges de-
velopenest nesse, with novel and patented offside, Wrested,
painted and eonstreoted by Mr. W. Oslisett, sod the
mooed backed by as ardotic illumLeated ease painted by
the same celebrated theatrical painter, sedated by his
brother. Mr. Albert Whet*.
le addition to these specteolse PAM very boll and original
automaton tumblers, ile Risky ; Mr. Limped, the popular
comic ringer ; Bextillioe, the oontortioeist ; and
Mrßarry,
• new comic singing lady, here bees empged ; .J. G.
Feeds, the most amusing. perhaps, of comic lagers, is still
retained, sod a new selection from Offenbech's meat speak-
flog end ever.pleming °wet*" Orphee sex Eaten," bee
bees produced, supported by the band and chorus of the
Alhembre-150 in number. Several judicious and masoneble
alterations have been made in the auditorium, which is one
of the most comfortable, luxurious, and well-arranged
buildings in Earope. A thousand yards of elegant Brussels
carpeting have bees laid down ; the " seasatiosal antral
chandelier," and its galaxy of glittering satellites, have
been restored to all their pristine splendour ; the upper
gallery has best enlarged ; and • email and experimental
draw oink has been emoted near the chief eatranea.

CRYSTAL PALACE.
If there existed yesterday morning any incredu-
lous individual who doubted that the business of pleasure
wee very hard work, be should have taken his statiop ou
the outskirts of the Taal oe'owd who pressed whet the
rostrum-doors of the Crystal Palace Railway from any res.
seeable hour in the forenoon to say unnameable hour in
the afternoon. They seemed to represent all claims in
society, so varied was. the ossttune, so extraordisary
the ejaculations, eo energetic the collective deportment. At
2 o'clock there were assembled under one roof a crowd of
somewhere near 40,000 people, the population of a good
sewed-rate continental city, all well-dreesed, sad with
mosey in their pockets, as jolly, se civil, and SE good
humoured as parable, filling the atmosphere with their
ringing laughter, and then—with desperate energy—them-
selves, at the various refreshment counters, which stretched
"many a rood" is every direction.
When the popular raid upon park pies, cold roast beef,
and other favourite edibles wee one, the Public eat calmly
down to watch Signor }hillside in his elegsat and some-
what perilous ascent. They were spectators in their
own estimation, but in fact they formed themselves
a most magnificent and suggestive Ejecta:la The
whole transept wee full to suffocation, the Handel
orchestra was densely packed, Wag rows of eager bless
peered along the galleries, and the naves were populous as
far dews each way, as permitted of the most distant view
of the performance. Signor Ethardo, who, now that he has
become famous, will have no objection to be established as
en Englishman, or' &hair, was quite equal to the escallop.
He made hie perilous ascent with wonderful certaiaty and
agility, laughing at then oscillations of his uncertain footing,
and coming every few yards to a full stop, to warm his
hands and exchange courtesies with the cheering crowd. On
the first day he found the haulers cold after the viva@
of the lively Florentines, who, we are told, forgot all
about Dante and the Inferno, in their admiration of
Ethardo and spiral amen/ion. But it was all made right
yesterday, the performer and his audience had become
acquainted, and the cheering was such as to stimulate the
modern Sysiphus—whose striae, by the way, doge DOt roll
back on him—to freehand extraordinary exertion. When the
iralitien had terminated, the breaking up of the crowd
wee a curious sight. So great were, so thickly pecked had
been, the burner masses, that anything like individual re-
liniment wee, for at least a quarter of an hour, quite out of
the question. Two great i gulph streams surged slowly
along--one towards the tropical region and the monkeys ,
the other, with truer instinct, to the Bertram territory and
the provisiore, and on the top of both could be seen float-
ing ladies' bonnets and shawls,and stray infants, the flotsam
and jetsam of these two great high tide' of holiday
humanity. It looked grand, almost awful, the slightest
accident might have caused • panic and a nob, and
a prink and a rash would have mused hundreds
of the weak and the little to be trampled
under foot ; but the police ead the barriers were abundant
and well placed, and Mr. Bewley in person marshalled with
his usual tact and coolness forty thousand undisciplined
men, IIDDIS•ODdliO women, and unmanageable children out
of the Palace without the slightest hitch, interruption, or
serious accident.
In the fifteen minutes we have before narrated the circu-
lation was completely restored. There was at the tannins,
ties • crowd nowhere, but people everywhere, at the
stalls, la the pieture gallery, paying a visit to the
great ox, or learning to skate under difficulties, but
free from all danger of immersion. Byend•by
the performances began in the transept theatre, the " Lofty
Ladders," the " inimitable" Stead, Chang and Chow, the
Freshen and the Bevan!. There were the "great little
Hotline " and his gifted family, the Christmas pantomime,
and the grand organ. At dusk the palace was lighted up,
to look like the Hall of Ellis, and • little later, we pre-
some, the assault of retiring thousands on the railways
commenced. We cannot state from personal knowledge
how all the visitors got home, but we saw in the course of
the evening one gentleman, who having left the palace at
half-pest four, had arrived at London-bridge at half-past
eight, so we presume that nothing like indecent hest' or
precipitation marked the retreat of the forty thousand.

ROY AL SURREY THEATRE.
The scene presented on the outside as well an the
ulterior of this theatre last night was of an unprecedented
description. Long before the opening of the doors a crowd
of persons bad congregated so large that it was hopeless to
expect for a moment that anything mote than a small
minority would be able to obtain admittance. Notwith-
standing that a sort of semi-private door pear the stage
entrance had been opened previously to the principal
doors such a rush occurred to every part of the theatre as to
teat to their utmost extent the capabilities of the pumps
and corridors. It is not probable that they will ever
receive a severer strain, and the manner in
which 'that test was sustained gave abundant
proof not only of their stheegth, but of the extraordinary
advantages which the sew Surrey possesses for the ingress
and egress of the people. Probably from the opening of
the doors to the filling of the theatre in every part, the
time occupied wan not more than ten minutes, and from
the facilities afforded for the instantaneous removal of all
barriers in the case of • sudden alarm, it is quite evident
that the building can be emptied In a very few minutes.
There were above 4,000 visitors at this theatre last
night, but, thanks to the excellent system of ventilation
adopted by Mr. Ellis, by which • current of cool air passe.
continually acmes the body of the house, • pretty equable
temperature was maintained, and although a few in the pit
and gallery doffed their coats and waistcoats with a view
to the more comfortable enjoyment of the pantomime, the
great body of the people in the pit and gallery were content
to abetaie from a custom which used to be pretty generally
adopted in the old Surrey. After settling themselves down
in the hones and taking a look round, a general cheer testified
the joy of the pithes sod the gods at finding themselves
in possession of a more mageificest theatre than ever on
their side of the water. The ceiling and sunlight seemed to
attract great atteatioci, it being admitted on all bands that
the latter was a vast improvement upon the old fashion of
lighting by means of • cumbrous gaselier. There was
scarcely standing room in soy part of the home, sod its
extent may be gathered from the fact that 1,500 eau be
accommodated in the pit, '2,000, nearly, in the gallery, and
about l:00 in the boxes. Besides these there are the pit
stalls, • new addition, and the passages and corridors, which
were also crowded.
When the curtain drew up shortly after 7 o'clock, the
whole company appeared on the stage, and sang the Nations'
Anthem, but such was the noise and confusion in the build.
ing that • few bars only of the solo parts could be dietiootly
heard. The whole of the oast audience, however, rose and
remained standing while it was being sung. Afterwards
"God Bless the Priori of Wales" was gives, the sliming of
both pieces being applauded at the close.
Mr. Shepherd than cams forward, and amidst the most
iDthugiutie theeriog delivered an address.
The entertainment commenced with Mark Lemon's little
drama of " Honesty the Best Policy," bat it was quite evi-
dent that the new pantomime wee what the people bad
come to see, and although they listened pretty quietly to
the first piece it passed off rather flatly. It was quite evi-
dent that in this piece the actors were trying the proper
pitch of their voices and the capabilities of the new theatre
for mound. In regard to this paint it was setisfactory
to find that, whether for instrumental or vocal
musk, the sew Surrey is at least equal to the
old playhouse, and this was subsequently made quite
manifest by the excellent singing of Miss Goodall sad Mies
Webster in the pantomime.
The subject chreen foe the Christmas entertainment was,
as is usually the Ca" of the flimsiest possible deseriptioa,
and served as a mere peg to hang the @pinta& upon.
The scenery altogether is of au extremely beautiful cha-
racter, especially the new drop by Tahiti and the painting
of Dame Daw's haesselsed by Gates. ledepeudeet of the
playhouse being Dew, the character of the pantomime is
quits sufficient to secure it • long and enoceesful run.
There were a few hitches lest night, but, as • whole, la
went remarkably well and elicited the hearty applause el all
wrath

AGRICULTURAL HALL.
There is, perhaps, no building in London which
lathe course of each year is put to so many different uses
es
the Agricultural-hall, in Islington. We go there to see
the cattle show, the horse show, poultry shows, exhibitions
of flowers, fruit, and vegetables ; last year there was the
North London Workmen's Industrial Exhibilioe, and
during the aumner we had a donkey show going on within
its walls. For them and many other princess the build-
ing in well adapted, but for none does it appear so exactly
suitable as for that of • Hippodrome. The apses of the arena
is so vast, the shape of the interim no admirably
adapted for horsemanship or racing, and the amornmodatioo
it affords the public so ample, that the woad*/ Is some
enterprialeg individual at the head of an equestrian company
does net abetter the ball as a permanent circus, and make it
the breed quarters of the kind of perfonsauns now going on
there. Yesterday, being Boxing-day, Mr. Bodkin commenced
a Christmas campaign in this immense building, having for
the army under his command a company of equestrians and
other performers, numbering, as he informs us in his
programme, no lees than 500 individuals, with 100
hones. He began with two performances, the
ant at half-peat two, the wooed at ••••11, end this
ensegement will be contioued during the Christmas week.
And U the public had no name to complain of what has
leen provided for their Christmas entertsiamest at the
great building lo Islington, neither has Xr. Ruffin muse
to grumbleat any want of petroeage. From the roof to the
floor, all aloes and all round this immeese hall, there was
yesterday not a seat to be had. There Dodd not have been
lam than seven or sight thousand people in the place at
iamb representation ; but although quite full, it was by no
means inconveniently cro
A more salient equestrian company has never been
brought together is London, and although there are many