The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-27 00:00:00

THE EXPIIFSS, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1867.

!HE

The theatres have at last entered upon their holi-
day and profitable season, after passing through
about as dull and spiritless an autumn and early
winter as ever paralysed the energies of theatrical
enterprise. The meeting of parliament in Novem-
ber, called by the government merely for the impo-
sition of fresh taxes; the cab strike ; the Fenian
reality and the Fenian bugbear—the first a savage
titfapting of sullen political discontent which the
Bumbles of Downing-street think can be kept in
check by a trembling hangman, the second an in-
vention of speculative journalist, who drive a pro-
fitable gutter trade in ily-eheets—the stagnation of
trade, and the inetnpolitan distress, have all been
mums operating adversely on the fortunes of
theatres. Even such an event ae the burning
of the Opera house in the Haymarket is sufficient
to keep a number of timid people away from
theatres for several weeks; and to this may be
added the habit acquired by many persons of
reserving their theatrical patronage for Christmas.
Since our last annual account was made up the
theatrical world has seen many changes. Her
Majesty's Theatre, and its unfortunate parasite,
the Bijou, have been burnt down—a loss that will
be more felt by operatic "stars" than by actors and
dramatic authors. The next season of Haymarket
opera will be given at Easter in Drury-lane Theatre,
sad the site of the old house (in spite of Mr.
Mapleson's denial) will most probably be taken by
the government for a General Post-office.
As a set-oil' against the loss of Her
Majesty's, we have several gains to chronicle. A
new and elegant theatre and circus was opened in
Holborn last May ; and last October saw the con-
version of dingy St. Martin's Hall into a light and
spacious theatre. The Standard Theatre, burnt
down in the autumn of 1866, has been rebuilt on a
larger and grander scale, and re-opened within the
last few days ; the Effingham Saloon has been
transformed into a commodious playhouse, known
as the New East London • and the ' Oriental," a
sailors' music-hall at Llinehouse, has been taken
under the wing of the Lord Chamberlain, and is
now a theatre. Western London has also
not been without its theatrical gains. St.
George's Hall, Langham-place, though it
opened quietly as an educational establishment,
boa been almost as quietly converted into a comic
opera-house, and home for frozen-out farce writers.
London has now—east, west, north, and south—no
lees than thirty-two duly licensed playhouses, and
before Her Majesty's and the Bijou were burnt
down it had thirty-four. This number is exclu-
sive of the Bijou at Bayswater, Cremorne Gar-
dens, and the Crystal Palace, which all work under
dramatic licenses conferred by the magistrates. At
this season it may not be uninteresting to give a
list of these houses, with their seating capacity :
Adelphl
Alexandra 1,330 Pavihon
Astley's 3,780 Garrick, estimated ... 800
Britannia 3,9Zi Princess's 1,679
sower
Cabinet 360 Sutler's Wells 2,300
City of London
Covent Garden, esti- Standard
mated
Drury Lane 3,800 flarrey
Effingham (New East Victoria
London)
Gallery of Mast's- St. Goorgo'sHall, do. 800
Lion
Grecian
Haymarket
kcryeum.
lebose
New Royalty

ADELPHI.

Total 50,863

Her Majesty's and the Bijou contained respec-
tively 1,655 and 500 seats.

DRURY-LANK

Mr. F. B. Chatterton'e liberal outlay always ap-
pears to bring back a proportionate return, and any Lon-
don theatre may well be proud if it can compete success-
fully with a modern Drury-lane pantomime. Drury-lane
Ina one pleasant peculiarity. It is always crowded.
Neither the heat of summer nor the cold of winter ap-
pears to have any perceptible influence on its audience.
The dense fog of last night, with its atioompanying Fenian
alarms, bad no power to keep &single seat empty, and long
before the curtain was raised a closely packed, noisy, and
expectant crowd took possession of the pit and galleries,
followed by another better dressed and less noisy crowd
who swarmed into the boxes, stalls, and dress-circle. The
gallery exchanged compliments with the pit in the shape
of pellets of orange-peel, and the pit contained at least
• hundred musical geniuses, who in their shirt-
sleeves copied and exaggerated the conducting of
Mr. Tully. The opening farce was called Mr. Boneytioves
TrouNce, and Mr. Honeyilove's chief trouble seemed to be
a difficulty in getting heard, and nothing like silence was
obtained until the orchestra commenced the overture to
the pantomime. One air in this pot pottrri was, of course,
the popular Olfenbachian " Not for Joseph," and as soon
as its familiar strains were heard, it set three or four
thousand people singing in lusty chorus. Mr. E. L.
Blanchard has selected for his subject this year the legend
of " Jack the Giant Killer," which, apart from its intrinsic
saerits, has the advantage of being thoroughly familiar to
every man, woman, and child in the three kingdoms.
The pantomime has the great merit of not being too long,
although Mr. Elliott and Mdlle. Frederika, the skate dan-
cers, are introduced, and Mr. Majilton, the cleverest of
all the hat jugglers. The skating dancing of Mr. Elliott
and Mdlle. Frederika is the most graceful thing seen since
Yr. Jackson Haines's performance, and Mr. Joseph
Irving's " plantation " dance in huge shoes in the opening
of the pantomime is a feature not Lobe missed or forgotten.
With " Piccaninny Minstrels" and two or three "infant
prodigies" in the introductory part, the juveniles cannot
complain that they are not well represented on the stage,
and the elders cannot fail to be gratified by the display of
so much youthful talent. The pantomime was warmly
sad boisterously received, and Mr. F. B. Chatterton may
be congratulated on him Christmas offering.

CHRISTMAS AMUSEMENTS. I pent' assembled showed the fullest appreciation, especially
as regards the scenery. The reception awarded to the
palace of the White Diamond at once stamped the piece as
a success, and the public approval was sealed by the loud
plaudits elicited by the Robin Rood forest view, culmi•
tutting, as they did in loud calla for the artist. The
ballet was graceful and effective, and the fun, which was
superabundant and prolific, exactly of the right kind for
a Christmas spectacle. The babes—of very large growth—
and their friends the robins elicited roars of laughter. In
abort, the Covent Garden pantomime cannot fail to have
a brilliant career.

No nom/Th./are on the stage is to the " No Thorough-
fare" of All the Year Round what the " Spirit of the
Morning Journals" is to the leading articles of the daily
press. The sentiments, the action, the plot, the climax,
and the moral, are all succinctly rendered, and the readers
who have lingered over the story can welcome it in
its new dress with the conviction that the alterations
made in it are only the inevitable ones called for by the
exigencies of the stage. The motives are more direct and
the action more rapid, but the leading incidents are there,
and the general purport of the drama is identical with
that of the Christmas number of Mr. Dickens's periodical.
No Thwoughfase was warmly applauded from first to
last by one cf the critically appreciative audiences we
have been accustomed to see assembled at the Lyceum
" first nights," under the lesseeship of Mr. Fechter, but
which are undoubtedly exceptional upon Boxing-night.
Its dialogue needs compression ; but its powerful dramatic
interest, its brilliant cast, careful acting, and fine scenery,
give it a foremost place among the novelties of Christmas.

the ruthless treatment which it has met with at the
hands of managers. Whether Shakespeare intended
his remedy for matrimonial troubles for popular use
is not quite clear ; perhaps he did, fur the manners of
his time authorised very decided measures wind scolds ;
but if Dr. Petruchio is nightly to advertise his nos-
trum in the nineteenth century, it may be as well to
observe that it is a somewhat perilous medicine, and if
exhibited with lees adroitness might lead to uncom-
fortable results—at all events, his practice bears a re-
markable likeness to acts that are deposed to in Sir
James Wilde's court, as evidence of s,rritia, and that com-
monly lead to judicial separations and decrees of
alimony. In the piece as it is now performed, the
burden falls almost exclusively upon three cha-
racters. Of these Katherine is sustained by Mies
Ellen Terry, with great success. The part is of course a
very difficult one ; for unless it is played with sufficient
spirit, the piece is deprived of all its point. On the other
hand, there is always a danger lest the actress should
forget that Kate of Padua was after all a lady ; and more-
over a lady not devoid of noble qualities. Miss Terry
appears to have hit the just medium, and will be a great
favourite in the character. Mr. Henry Irving made his
debit last night as Petruchio, which he played with
vigour ; and Mr. L Brough was an amusing Grurnio.
Mr. J. L. Toole, who has just joined the company,
appeared in Doing for the Best sod the Birthplace of
Podgers. Doing for the Best is a little domestic drama
written by the late Mr. Hophino Lacy, which Mr. Toole
has played with great success in the country, and in which
he has a character of mingled humour and pathos which
exactly snits his style of acting. If we remember rightly,
the piece was played at Sadler's Wells by Mr. Phelps,
daring his management of that theatre. The Birthplace
of Podgers is a farce written by Mr. Hollinrhead for Mr.
Toole about ten years ago, which he has played at the
Lyceum, Adelphi, and St. James's. Mr. Tool was well
received, and he will probably strike root as the low
comedian of this new theatre.