The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-27 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE.

Mr. Bunn, once more lessee of this theatre, com-
menced his new course of management last csening. The
house having opened on " :roxing night," it was filled to
overflowing with a holiday audience, attracted by an abun-
dant and attractive bill of fare. The entertainments

commenced with " God Save the Queen," sung by the
principal singers of the operatic company and a
chorus of remarkable strength and efficiency. When
it finished, Mr. Bunn came forward and briefly addressed
the audience. Ho began by taking deserved credit fur the
transformation he had effected in the interior of the theatre,
which, a fortnight ago, was a muss of dilapidation and dirt,
and was now what te audience saw. Ho might wed
speak self-complacently on this subject, for the house is de-
corated with great splendour and taste, and is made most
comfortable as well as beautiful. Mr. Bunn went
on to say that it was his intention to em-
brace every branch of tho drama, and to exert
himself to do every branch the greatest possible jus-
tice, trusting that the patronage of the public would
furnish him with the means of ,doing so. This address,
which was enlivened with some good-humoured jokes, was
loudly and cordially applauded. The play was Milinan's
Fazio, with Mr. James Anderson and Miss Glyn iu the
characters of Fazio and Bianca. This play was not happily
chosen; it is one of the heaviest tragedies in our
language; the hero and heroine excite no interest,
the ono being a contemptible profligate and the
other a fierce virago ; and the dialogue is full
of twin 1 common places. Mr. Autiersou and Miss Glyn
exerted themselves meritoriously, and earned considerable
applause in the principal scenes, but the piece went off very
heavily, though there was less noise in the upper regions
than is usual on a " Boxing-night." Then caine the en-
tertainment of the evening, the new grand comic Christmas
pantomime, called Ilarkquia ilagartit ; ur,tlie Tics London
'Preatires—" a dish," as the bids had it, " partly served
upon Hogarth's plates, with extra seasoning to suit
the times." As usual it has an allegorical beginning. Wu
have Idleness and Ignorance presented in bodily torn, and
contrasted with Industry and Knowledge; the one pair
laying their heads together to check the advance of Indus-
try and Knowledge, while the other counteract their
designs. After sonic scenes of this kind, which sooth to
say, arc not easy to comprehend, we arc introduced to
gath's two apprentices. They first appear on Blackfriars-
bridge, as it was a hundred years ago (a very tine scene),
having come up from the country to be bound apprentices
to a shop-keeper on Ludgate:hill. The bop (acted
by the two Messrs. Payne) show their dispositions in a
thousand grotesque fashions;
. the cue all fuss and bustle,
the other lazy and sleepy. They go to bed in their double-
bedded room, and have dreams of their future life, which
are are represented in tr insparent copies of several of llo-
garth's pictures, executed iu a masterly way. Then the
two
into bad
began to follow their different course ; the hilt
falls had company, and is introduced into a society of a
thieves kitchen,where he is enrolled a member of un associa-
tion "for the diffusion of property." The industrious 'prentice
falls in love with his master's daughter, and their flirtation is
one of the richest scenes in the piece. The young lady
(Mr. Chapin) and her lover give a burlesque of Carlotta
Urisi and Perrot's famous Pas de fasei,,ation m Banicrattim.
so perieet, and yet so ludicrous au imitation, that it pro-
duced roars of laughter. The idle 'prentice at last resolves to
rob his master's till; cud being surprised in the act by
Miss Juninta, he carries her into the vaults under the shop.
Here he is discovered by his industrious companion, and
after a ridiculous combat, the reprobate is worsted, and
the young lady rescued There ends the introduc-
tion. The fairie- Industry and Knowledge re.uppear, and
tranidentu the personages into the ususl pantomimic cha-
racters. The two Messrs. Marshall perform Harle-
quin and Clown; Miss Palmer, Columbine; and Mr.
Barnes, Pantaloon. A long series of pantomimic
tricks toll rffs, which have no relation to the earlier
part of the piece, an any connexion with its title.
They were accompanied, of course, with abundance of
kicks, slaps, I; axis, tumbles, and other rieCer, of prac-
tical humour. Sonic of them were ingenious and
sew; Milers were trite and threadbare, the standing
common places of pantomime from time immemorial. Gee
of the happiest things was the hit at " Bloomerism." A
great many young ladies, in full Bloomer eestume, are en-
gaged in masculine occapatiuns, while a number of men are
employed us nursery maids, unit in other teinale duties. At
another time we had the submarine telegraph bringing the
latest iwws from France : Monday, Paris very gay, and
abundance of bails." " Tuesday, Paris in a state of siege.
and abundance of bullets." Mr. IL Marshall gave
most laughable imitatioas of some of our violinists, Ernst
and Sivori in particular, showing, at the same time,
wonderful command of the instrument. His " Carnival of
Venice," nht Siruri, produced shouts of laughter. His
whole performance of the Clown was excellent. His bro-
ther, too, was a capital Harlequin ; and alias raiser was a
pretty and graceful Columbine. The scenery, which tun-
:dined chiefly of street views in Loudon, was beautilul ;
particularly the view of a line Street by moon-
light, and of a railway station. The conclud-
ing scene, the interior of the Crystal Palace,
was one of the most gorgeous things we have ever been
upon the stage. On the whole, we have no doubt that this
pantomime will be very successful. But it is too long, and
a good many heavy things might be advantageously lopped
off. The machinery worked well for a first night; but,
after a few performances, the piece will of muse move
nom lanuothly AS well us more rapidly.