The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

The Christmas entertainment at this theatre was, as
mai. from the skilful pea of Kr. Planolid, who memeds,
better then say one else has ever doae, is Magda( the old,
graceful fairy tales which he takes for his snidest, with a
dress at once quaint and eleven, and I. preeerriag their
romatic interest while MMus it up with grotesque sutra-
vegans'. Thiele's' hie pima is fostaded as the Costumes
d'Asous' story of "La Primes' Caryllkm," sad is
sailed Once moo a Tim teen mere Teo KM'S.
It is certainly sae of the prettiest things of
the kind that sea be hussies& a delightful
miaow of massing inaideat, dialogue sparkling with wit
end hammy, agreeable mein sad brilliant sad !mashie'
spotted*. The testamee are exactly taken hem those of
the !mak stags of the period what Madame D'Ausis
wrote the original story; the male performers, in their
Rowing periwigs sad laced snits, and the lemeles in their
rick but elegant overt dresses, giving a prudes idea of the
style in which the spleadid romantic sad fairy_ dramas of
the age of Louie Quatoree were seriously represented.

- -
The pies opens with s beautiful view •f the port of
sa.upar, the capital city of the islaad of ; the
king, Peniwigulos the Proud, is remising with great pomp
his sea sad Guiana Prison Brater, returned from eon-
quest. The Wag is masted by Mr. J. Stead; mad Mr.
Wright makes a capita burlesque of the warlike pricer
who • 110111101184 stied, sad wants to get rid of his papa,
and dm to tibiae forcible pommies of a snag damsel
named Corpuses, who has been brought up at the court of
Perriwiseths. This king is an usurper who has
dedirceed his asemiii, King Sublimes, and driven
Ida from his kingdom. The fugitive Kiss end Queen
eoliths with their family to • secluded place celled
the Verdant Islands, where they live is the disguise of
pinnate ; but in their flight they have lest ono of their
children, who, bevies fallen lab a lake, is saved by • bene-
volent fairy, who gives the child the name of Carpilona,
and carries her to the court of King Perriwigulus, by
whom (es we have said) she has been brought up. Flying
fres t►e 'Wines of Prince Brutus, she fl•ds so asylum is
the Verdant Islands,where her royal papa sad wisairs,with
their two other daaghten, and a foundling youth whom
they have adopted, Dave their humble abode.
By certain tokens the King and Queen die•
cover, that the stranger girl is their own
daughter, and an affectionate family recognitios takes place.
She takes young Cerin fur her brother, but is told that he
, is so relative, but only • shepherd lad, brought up out of
chatity. Of course this young couple fall in loth, and there
I is something sweet and pretty in these scenes, netwithstacd-
lag the burlesque tone, which is laid aside. King
Placid is Mr. Frank Matthews, his Queen is Madame Vas-
tris, Carpilona is Min Julia St. George, and two very clever
little girls, Miss Mason and Ulu Foote, are Chloe and
Phillis, her sisters. There are hers some exceedingly
pleasant musical parodies, particularly • leve•duct between
Curio and Carpilona, to the music of "La ci diem Is
I, mane ;" and the following little song, sung delightfully by
Madame Vairis, as the Peasaut•Queen, to the tune of
" Our Polly is a sad slat" :

Oar polity is upset
Completely by our daughter;
I almost wish the fishermen
Had left her in the water'
For she Las told about us all
We told her not to say—
And on a bumpkin all but gone
And flung herself away.

Coria (about Mr. F. Robinson makes very ainusieg)
goes about, like Orlando s the "Forest of Ardis," hasiliall