The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-28 00:00:00

ASTLEY'S THEATRE.

scenery,
of in which some of the most ancient
Mr. E: T. Smith's Chri4tmas Pantomime, of course, is
a decided success, not only for its quaintness and novelty,
its gorgeous tresses, its fantastic but picturesque dances,
historicalb ti ts exqu
localities isite
this old land are graphically and
beautifully produced, It is entitled " Harlequin Friar
Bacon ; or, Great Grim John of Gaunt and the Enchanted
Lance of Robin Goodfellow," by Francisco Frost, Esq.--
who, at such times as big heads, transformation scenes,
and clowns are not in the ascendant, is known as Mr. E.
L. Blanchard. Mr. Blanchard has selected " The Can-
terbury Tales" of the father of English poets for
his subject, • and Chaucer himself as the hero.
There is not a more amusing individual in the annals of
English poetry than old Geoffrey Chaucer, nor a more
graphic or interesting tale than the Pilgrimage to Canter..
bury, and it is on incidents connected with it that the pan-
tomime is chiefly founded. The display of the Grand
Procession to the Tournament, and brilliant display of the
Knights of the days of yore on their richly-caparisoned
horses," is a grand spectacle, but the crowning effect is the
transformation scene. It is, without exaggeration, a bril-
liant spectacle, and one which it is difficult to describe.
Nor is its novelty its only merit; it is a magnificent com-
bination of colour and light of the most gorgeous character,
and drew forth thunders of applause. The harlequmade
was of first-rate excellence. The house was crowded to
excess. Indeed it would have been impossible to have
found room for an extra visitor had it been required.

SURREY THEATRE.
Messrs. Shepherd and James Anderson well sustained
the reputation ;this:house bas now attained far Christmas
entertainment. The pantomime on this occasion was en-
titled " Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul, A Frog he

would a-Wooing go, and Ride-a-Cockhorse to Banbury-
cross," and, it is almost needless to sty, it afforded the
higheet ghttiiloation to one of the largest and hilarious
audiences ever assembled withiti the theatre. The opening
scene, very beautifully painted by Mr. Brew," the Bunga-
low of Bull Frog," introduces us to bull rushes, flag rushes,
and every adjunct suitable to the abode of frogs, who, headed
by Old Rowley, enter in troops, singing the well-known
song " A Frog he would a-wooing go : heigho 1 says Row-
ley ;" Old Rowley, disguised as a great bull frog, and
paying homage to Old King Cole, whose daughter, the
Princess Magenta, misled by Will o' the Wisp, falls
into the toils of Old Toad, Sir Anthony Rowley's mother,
and is by her aid wooed and carried off by Bull Frog (Sir
Anthony) ; but is afterwards, by the enchanting power of
the good Fairy Queen (Miss Lotte Wilmot) changed into
a mouse, and from that lowly state into the Queen of Beauty
(Miss E. Webster), in which character she rides in state
on " A Cockhorse to Banbury Cross," where there is a
grand tournament, in which the knighted Anthony Rowley
is ludicrously unseated and ignominiously defeated by the
gallant Prince of Nursery Rhymes, Rido-a-Cockhorse (Miss
E. Jacobs) in search of a sweetheart, who wins the hand of
the Queen of Beauty, and with the consent of her father
weds his lady love. The transformation scene--the most
gorgeously grand, and at the same time chastely and beau-
tifully executed composition imaginable—was rewarded by
a general call for the artist. The comic business was
capital, everything " went" in the best manner, and the
delight it afforded must amply compensate Mr. Shepherd
for the outlay and trouble incurred in producing it. The
pantomime was in every way a complete success.