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

OUSES.--lessrs. TOPLIS and ROBERTS
nhave nunprous furnished and unfurnished TOWN,
buburban, and Country RESIDENCES to Lia or SELL.
PariOttlar3 forwarded tor three stamps, upon stating, exact
requirements and rental. Offices, 2,Condutt-street,Regent-
street, and south liensing,ton, lacing the lAuseurn.

sourli KENSINGTON , IIYDE-P ARK,
Queen's, and Rutland Gates, Queen's-gate and Peters-
ham Terraces, Queen's-gate, Cornwa.ll, and Piinces Gardens,
Elvaston-place, Cromwell-road, Onslow and Tburloe Squares,
Bolton& Szc. Messrs Tort,i4 and 11.0 itTS have RE
DEN CES to SELL and LET in these and surrounding
localities. Office's, 2, Conduit-street, Regent-street, and
South Kensington, facing the Museum.

ROYAL ENGLISII OPERA, COVENT-
GARDEN.
(Opera Company, Limited.)
fruls EvENING (Wednesday). Mr. Charles Defl'ali's
new opera, in one act, CHRIsiM.i. EVE. Madame F.
Lancia, Madame E. iliywood ; Mr. A. Cook, and Mr. D,
Miranda.

Conductor, Ur. Altre 1 Mellon.
After Which. et 8, the grand comic, tti, e6tacular., and ope-
row (11,r.s mas Pan:omime, entitled A
uin LAD 01
the AN o '1 liyiulE
WONDEIZFU f, LAMP ; or, Harleq aud Fg,
(See other advertisements.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.-
Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, the Farce of HUSBANDS, BEWARE.
Mr. G. Belmore, Miss Hazlewood,
After which, the Pantomime, LITTLE KING PIPPIN;
or, Harlequin Fortunatus and the Magic l'urse and Wishing
Cap. Messrs. G. Belmore, H. Drayton, G. Weston. Master
Percy Roselli ; Misses Hazlewood, A. Thomson, E. Falconer,
Pantomimists, Messrs. H. Boleno. C. Lauri, Cormacx,
baville, Miss Morgan, and Madame Boleno.
Commence at 7.

riIirEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.'
jl.. 3lanagers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
SPECIAL MORNING PERFORMANES.
In answer to numerous applications from parties residing
in the environs, and in order to allow country visitors to
London during the holiday week an opportunity to witness
the Drury-lane Annual drand Christmas Pantomime, en-
titled (this year) LITTLE KING PIPPIN or, Harlequin
Fortunatus and the Magic Purse and -Wishing Cap, Messrs.
Falconer and Chatterton have decided on giving FOUR
MORNING PERFORMANCES, onWEDNESDAY, Dec.
'27th ; T lIURSDAY, 28th
; FRIDAY, 29th ; and SATUR-
and every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
DAY, 30th;
h
in the month of January. Doors open at half-past One.
Commence at Two o'clock each day. Children and Schools
reduced prices to the following parts of the Theatre :
F
at irst Circle, Dress Circle, and Stalls.

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYAIARKET.-
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, BROTHER SAM Messrs. Sothern,
Buckstone, Compton; Mesdames belly Moore, Snowden,
&c.
To be followed by ORPHEUS IN THE HAYMA.IIKET.
Mesdames' Farren, Snowden,at tleman, Weaiersby, Src.
heeley, Moore, Lindley, Woolgar,
Howard, Wright, Coleman, Lovell, PrevA, Sze.
To conclude with SHOCKING EVENTS. Mr. Com,ton.
Commence at Seven.

OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
XI) THIS EVENING, Dee. 27, and during the week, a New
Drama, entitled TLI N.: NtASTER OF EAVP:NSIVOOD.
}Azar Ravenswood, Mr. Pechter, supported by a powerful
company.

NEve THEATRE-ROYAL ADELPHL
Sole Proprietor and blanager, Mr. B. Webster.
THIS EVENING, at Seven, a new farce called LEIIIND
TIM& Messrs. J. L. Toole, K. Eburue. C. J. Smith;
Miss A. seaman, &c.
After which, at 8, RIP VAN WINKLE. Ripßilli (hing,rtons 9Gth
appearance), Mr. Jefferson, supported by Messrs. ,
P. Bedford, R Phillips, Felix 'togas, Ashley, li.burne, C. J.
Smith; Mrs. Biliingtor, &o.
To concludewith THE STEEPLEC'IIA.SE. Messrs. J. L.
Toole, P. rd, Ashley ; Miss K. Kelly, &o.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.I
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining.
THIS EVENING, QUIET LODGINGS.
Atter whi,:h, at a quarter to Eight, IT IS NEVER TOO
LATE TO MEND. characters by Messrs. Vining, T. Mel-
ville, T. Mead, D. Murray, IS. Calhaem, F. Villiers, J. G.
Shore, U. Murray, H. Melton, C. Seyton, It. Cathcart; Miss
L. Moore and Miss Katherine Rodgers.

immen-
the trui°l"

trials and sorrows of a lone creature were full of over tables and chairs, and while she escapes he
humour, and yet could hardly be said to be un- comes ignominiously to the ground, complaining bit-
feminine. But if Aladdin be fortunate in having terly of his " bruised shins." Swankey enters, and
such a mother he is even more enviable on ac- discovers Fluke on the ground. This increases his
count of the charming Princess bestowed on jealousy, which has been aroused by his finding a
him in the transformation scene by the good Fairy love epistle written by Fluke on his wife's table; and
Diamond. The Princess Badroulbadour has not he resolves to bring matters to an issue. He sends
much to say, it is true, but she should look lovely, Tripes (Mr. C. J. Smith) for a cleaver, much to the
and does, as impersonated, byMiss Blanche Elliston. dismay of Fluke, and forcing open the door of the
When we say that the part of Abanazar, the African closet brings forth Sarah Jane Snivey (Miss God"
magician, falls to Mr. W. H. Payne, and that Mr. sail), who declares herself the object of Fluke's
Fred. Payne is Kazrac, the dumb, "but honest," affection. Fluke, congratulating himself upon his
attendant of the wicked wonder-worker, our readers escape from the fury of Swankey, readily endorses
will understand at once the superlative pantomime her assertion and avows himself her " devoted," and
and dumb show, the rapid strokes of business, the matters are thus amicably adjusted. The different
fine feats of tumbling that take place when Aban- characters were made the most of, Mr. Toole elicit-
azar and his slave are on the stage. It is to be 1 ing throughout hearty applause. Altogether the
wished, perhaps, that the Magician had exercised a, farce of Mr. Webster may fairly be pronounced a
little of his mystic art to imprint the words of his success. The drama of "Rip van Winkle" was
part on his memory more completely ; but the first afterwards performed before a crowded and appre-
night of a pantomime is not the time when critical ciative audience, and passed for the 102 d time with
severity is needed. The scenery throughout is ex- its usual success.
cellent. A street in Canton is represented with the
shops open, and traders and customers engaged in
selling and buying, with an air of reality that al-
most makes us pause to ask whether we have not
been transported to the native land of Chang.
Another very charming scene in the Garden of
Jewels, where golden palms are laden with ruby
pippins and pearl pears. The manner in which the
Genius of the Lamp—a giant, before whom a joint-
stock amalgamation of Chang and Anak would
dwindle into insignificance—bears off the Palace of
Aladdin to Africa, is a capitally contrived scene.
As the Genius soars up with the magnificent pile
on his shoulders, a calm, moonlit sea is revealed
beyond with an effect as startling as it is pleasing.
The transformation scene is a triumph of mechanism
as well as art. It would be almost impossible to
describe how the leafy labyrinth gives place to the
coral deeps of a lake on whose bosom float number-
less water-lilies ; how the lake subsides, and the
branching corals with clusters of fays branch out into
an enormous fan; how other fays emerge from pearly
shells ; and how the car of Phoebus, the Bright
Lamp of Day, with its four pawing steeds, mounts
in dazzling brilliance at the back of the vast stage.
It would be impossible to close our mention of Covent
Garden pantomime without bestowing a word of high
praise on the two ballets which occur in it. We have
seldom seen so much fancy and elegance, so much
taste in the harmonious blending of colours, as dis-
tinguish them. They might fairly be given as sepa-
rate entertainments, and would be quite strong
enough to run alone. The Chinese ballet in parti-
cular is very varied and novel, but the dance of the
jewels is also artistically arranged, and very new in
the point of costume. In his transformations,
although he departs a little from the established
usage, Mr. Blanchard decidedly awards poetical
justice. It has always seemed to us that to trans-
form the virtuous and deserving lovers into Harle-
quin and Columbine, fated to lead a life of springs
and spangles, pursued perpetually by Clown, and
his old and iniquitous friend, smacked rather of
human justice than that of fairyland. Mr. Blan-
chard dismisses Aladdin and Badroulbadour to
" live happy ever afterwards," without the necessity
of jumping through Bennett's clock, or being bas-
ket-tricked by Pantaloon. Kazrac becomes Harle-
quin, having for Columbine the transformed at-
tendant of the Princess. Of the dansing of Mr.
Fred. Payne and Mdle. Esta, as Harlequin and
Columbine, of the drolleries of Mr. Harry Payne
(retired conjuror) as Clown, and Sir Paul Herring
as Pantaloon and ex-Vizier, we have not space to
speak at length. The comic business went very
smoothly for a first night—the tricks were telling,
and several good hits were made, which were ac-
knowledged by a delighted and uproarious audience
as they deserve to be.

HAY MARKET.
It can hardly be said there is any special holiday
fare at this market, although there is capital enter-
tainment for man and—woman. Mr. Sothern, after
a considerable absence from London, returned last
night, and reappeared in his last new character of
Brother Sam, in which he was welcomed with all
' the cordiality usually awarded to him. This piece
. being well known, needs no further remark than to
say it seems to retain its wonted popularity.
The novelty of the evening, however, was the
new operatic burlesque of " Orpheus in the Hay-
market," which, as the production and adaptation
of one of our ablest and oldest dramatists, Mr.

Planche, was eagerly looked for, and which we are
happy to say produced a corresponding admiration.
It is a light, elegant, and smart rendering of Offen-
bach's famous operetta " L'Orfee aux Enfers," the
music of which has been made so well known to
the London public by its clever rendering at the
Oxford Music Hall.
It may be justly said of this operatic burlesque
that it is refined and witty, and quite worthy of
those early productions which raised burlesque
writing into an art and extravaganzas into a species
of poetry. As Mr. Planche was the first, so he was
and is the best writer of this kind of entertainment
that we have had, or are likely to have. He never
violated taste to create a laugh, nor so handled his
subjects as to desecrate them. Burlesque has lat-
terly too much approached to brutality, and rather
represents the comic drama in its most uncouth days
when some gross clown smeared his face with wine
lees and uttered any desecration of heroic ideas that
could enter his satyr-like mind. If burlesque have
any office it is rather by the nicest raillery and the
most delicate extravagance to expose the fopperies
of sentiment and the exaggerations of the heroic,
than to seek with broad grins and hideous antics to
mock and gibe at the beautiful, the true, and the
pathetic. Mr. Planche has never done this, and
all that he is answerable for is having invented a
kind of entertainment which no one can follow
with like taste and good sense.
The present rendering of Offenbach's delightful
opera " Buffa" is in . every way creditable to this
theatre. Several new engagements have been made
to render it musically well, and the dressing and
scenery are elegant and clever. In addition to the
already clever actors of the theatre, viz. :—Mr. W.
Farren, Miss Snowdon, Miss Nelly Moore, Miss
Fanny Wright, and Miss Louise Keely ; Mr. David
Fisher, Mr. Bartleman, Miss Helen Howard, Miss
H. Lindley, and Miss Ellen Woolgar have been
engaged. It was acted and sung with remarkable
spirit and effect, and it most undoubtedly is a great
success, and will for a long time draw the town to
it. The charming music, the capital acting, the
picturesque scenery, and the many handsome women
• engaged in it will make it superlatively attractive.
mime

OLYMPIC.

The "little Olympic," satisfied with its successful
drama, " Henry Dunbar," and the farce "Always
Intended," a divertissement from the extravaganza
" Prince Camaralzaman," is added. We are in•
formed that a new burlesque, of the Olympic pat•
tern, will be shortly brought out, and that the sub.
ject is the legendary story of the "Four Sons o
Aymon.

ADELPIII.
The only alteration in the already ample bill o.
;are at this popular house was the production of a
new farce, in one act, entitled " Behind Time," in
which Mr. J. L. Toole made his re-appearance,
having completed his provincial engagements. The
farce, which at the fall of the curtain was stated by
Mr. Toole to have been written by Mr. B. Webster,
jun., is of that class that serves well enough to be
followed by a good piece, such as " Rip Van
Winkle." As a matter of course, a love adventure
constitutes the plot, and the hero is, of course,
at the Adelphi, Mr. Toole, whose wont to make
the most of every character he personates was never
better exemplified than in his personation last night
of Jeremiah Fluke, " a gentleman behind his time,"
whose procrastinating habits subject him to a chap-
ter of annoyances, but who is at last comper.sated
by making a " fluke." Being in love with Matilda
Jane Swaukey (Miss A. Seaman). he delays to press
his suit ; but in the course of time resolves to de-
clare his love, when, to his intense chagrin, he finds
that Matilda Jane has become the wife of Charles
Swankey (Mr. R. Phillips). Fluke, nevertheless, in
defiance of all obstacles, seeks to persuade Matilda
Jane to elope with him. She, however, resists his
importunities, and, hearing the approach of her hus-
escape. Fluke pursues her
band, seeks to make her

season.

ST. JAMES'S.
Notwithstanding the announcement, " that in
consequence of the unprecedented success attending
the representation of ' The School for Scandal,' it
will be repeated on Boxing-night," &c., it, accom-
panied by a special Christmas piece, failed to draw
last night anything like a good house ; there was a
pretty fair pit and gallery, but the stalls were poorly
filled, and the dress circle was almost empty. It
would seem that most persons unacquainted with
the details of behind the scenes a strange freak of
management to produce, during Christmas week, so
long a play as " The School for Scandal." However,
even the gods tolerated it pretty well, being in the
dark probably to understand what they were to see
afterwards, the description of the Christmas piece
being on the bills as follows :—" A metamorphosed,
ollapodoridieal, boy and gal-limaufrical, extravagan-
zical, pantomimical, and nondescriptical rehearsal
called " Please to Remember the grotto ; or, The
Manageress in a Fix," and really the ma-
nageress must have been "in a fix" when
she consented to the production of this
piece. It is never interesting to the public
to know the difficulties of a manager in selecting
a piece, and the conversations that take place be-
tween him and authors. This piece, however,
commences with a conversation between Miss Her-
bert and her stage manager, Mr. Sanger, and Mr.
Belton, who has written and wishes to have pro-
duced a pantomime. In lamenting her difficulties
in selecting a suitable entertainment for Christmas
she takes occasion to refer to the competition found
in the present day, from Shakespearan readings by
clergymen to tumbling in music halls, in no veil
gracious terms, and after a long rigmarole of this
kind of thing Mr. Belton announces that Miss
Herbert's manager has consented to produce his
pantomime, and thatthe company are ready dressed
for a rehearsal. Miss Herbert consents, and then
in succession Mr. F. Charles appears as Harlequin,
Mr. Frank Matthews as Clown, Mr. F. Robson as
Pantaloon, and Miss A. Colinson as Columbine.
It is hardly necessary to say that the performers are
ill at home in such characters, but there is some-
thing so ridiculous in Frank Matthews appearing
as Clown, and something so droll in his face, that
no one could help laughing at him ; without him
the sketch, or whatever it is to be called, would
have been simply intolerable, and his humour se-
cured for him a call before the curtain. Miss A.
Collinson made, too, a good Columbine. As to
the pantomime business, it was of the commonest
kind and introduced toe worst of the old tricks
which have been produced year after year with
unvarying certainty and little profit. The final
scene, the Choral Caves of the Ocean, is exceed-
ingly pretty, but on the whole " Please to remem-
ber the Grotto" is a failure, and is not likely to
run long.

ASTLEY'S.
The Christmas fare at this house appears under
the somewhat stupendous title of " Harlequin Toni
Tom, the Piper's Son, Pope Joan, and Little Bo-
Peep ; or, Old Daddy Long Legs, and the Pig that
went to Market and the Pig that stayed at Home."
The plot, of course, works upon all those nursery
rhymes, but how they are connected it is difficult
to tell. However, four fairies, Good Temper, Good
Music, Good Cheer, and Good Fun, who are expected
to preside over all Christmas festivities, remove
every obstacle, and introduce the audience in due
order to the " Hazardous Pool of Pope Joan" In
" The Palace of Diamonds," where is held a greet
congress of cards, dominoes, and dice ; " The Into'
rior of the Cottage of the Village Piper," whose sell,
is " Tom, the Piper's Son ;" " 80-Peep's Meadow,'
" A Pork-pie Pavilion," and the " Grand Hall 1.13
the Castle of Daddy Long Legs." Tom, who 10
sworn to his lady-love, 80-Peep, to punish Daddy
Long Legs, who has stolen her sheep, these sue;
ceeds, by means of an enchanted whistle pipe, O'
which he becomes mysteriously possessed, in throw-
ing the establishment in a general commotion and its
respected owner downstairs, which feat being highll
satisfactory to 80-Peep, terminates that part of the
performance, and transports the audience into
" Fairy Haunt," in which Miss Caroline par
appears in the triple pantomime characters
ri.,°
Clown, Pantaloon, and Harlequin. Mr. E. "."
Smith, the enterprising lessee, like Glendower, Os
" call spirits from the vasty deep," but he also shess,,
how " they will come when he does call for 01011 A
Believing the resources of the land to be exhaust'
he determined to search for novelty at the bottoole
of the sea, and the dress rehearsal which took placia
on Saturday evening showed with what remarks
success his endeavours had been attended. The clif,
et
taiu rises upon the " Submarine Retreat of
etatl3 4
of Pearl," where we are introduced to a larg 930;
of "finney-uns,"comprising,both cavalry and inls
try, sprats, mackerel, herrings, turbots, &c., Vileuo
the animated fishes are called upon to follovf 'eo
fortunes of " Tom, the Piper's Son ;" and
again, the trsnsformation scene, we sink into '0;
water, not amongst the fishes, however, but 000
a coral reef, the haunt of nymphs. This steep
is probably one of the finest which has 'bef
placed upon the stage. It opens with a viesvii.,ll
the coral reef through a thick hazy sea, in 1"lpo
gracefully posed groups of nymphs appear t° ap
floating. As the water becomes clear,
effect which is produced by raising 00
great number of gauze curtains, fresh objetc:o
the faint and misty outlines of which I)e''',o,
were alone visible, gradually develop therase'
until the whole becomes one blaze of light and 17 ,e
tifully-blended colours, which lose their unPle 4
glare from the steadiness with which the inte'oc)
is increased. This extraordinary production, V.OOO
must have exhausted the whole resources of
0,
artists and mechanist, must be seen, as it is IT of
sible by description to convey even a remote lei,
its grandeur and at the same time reinarkably
ing effect. The audience on Saturday were s oreif
pleased that both Mr. Smith and Mr. Charles
(the inventor, designer, and painter) vreff
called beforethe curtain. In the harlequinitue ,vet/
ral novelties were introduced, amongst whichcoile',,
an exceedingly clever one-legged dancer, jet,
"Le Frere Donato," and "The Infant W°l3
George Parkes, with his performing 2011,3.:;0 pa j 1
dresses, appointments, and, in fact, the ell— a 4',
tomime, is deserving of the highest praise/leilof tl3.
no doubt draw full houses during, the who

SURREY. f 200 Pb
The entertainments consisted of garlc
db
drama of " Honesty the Best Policy" 0:01
many of the old favourites at the old 001' Air;
exerted themselves to the satisfaction ef tbe, fl1f;
tory), and a new pantomime, written 11 C 1 6741
Jolly Dogs," and called " Harlequin lili-14,01,,,ciie)
or, Tom the Piper's Son and See-S. vi
a v_ 0
Daw." Making all allowance for the Oa
incidental to the first night of a new thotr-0 Pli1;
an entirely new performance, the pantel'aillls4lol,;;l
be admitted to have " worked" very sllccetilo°d
and although Mr. Shepherd, the ravager'
.0,1
it necessary, on one occasion, to come fc)r.sclit le
1`
J.
seek the indulgence of the audience, he
,V
have spared himself that not very agrec.c`l,
Th 3 pantomime opens with the abode of
Realms of Fancy, in which the difficul Plot Gifi
sought to be solved as to which is tho ul°