The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-21 00:00:00

.&stley's Royal Theatre.

The title of the pantomime this year is an exten-
sive one, of " Harlequin Tom, Tom, the Piper's
Son, Pope Joan, and Little Bopeep ; or, Old Daddy
Long Legs, and the Pig that Went to Market, and
the Pig that Stayed at Home." It is, like its suc-
cessful predecessor, " Jack Spratt," comprised of a
variety of well-known nursery rhymes ingeniously
dovetailed together, and the little folks, for whom
this entertainment has been specially constructed,
may depend upon meeting some old friends in new
and unexpected situations. The pantomime com-
mences with the submarine retreat of Mother of Pearl,
where the frolics of the Mermaids and the Fishes
revels are disturbed by a message from E. T.
Smith, who, having tried everything on earth to
make his pantomime the best in London, has, at the
last moment, determined to seek the assistance of those
who are even deeper than himself ; his request being
granted by Mother of Pearl (Miss Britton). The
scene ends with a grand movement of the Small
Fry, and a show of Fish not to be equalled even at
the Crown and Sceptre at Greenwich. The second
scene is the Hazard° as Post of Pope Joan and Caid
Castle, by moonlight. In this, after being treated
to an amusing Game of Dominoes and a few odd
tricks of the Dice, we are introduced to the knave
of Hearts (Mr. Templeton), whose notorious tart-
stealing propensities are interfered with by the ap-
pearance of Pope Joan (Mr. Atkins), who, disgusted
with the badness of her three suits, Hearts, Spades,
and Clubs, determines to throw up her cards unless
she finds an improvement in her fourth, and,
to effect this, she changes the third scene to
" The Interior of the Palace of Diamonds,"
where, after having been a little cheered, as
most ladies are by the prospect of matrimony
she summons to her board a variety of old friends
and a splendid pack of well-known trumps, for the
purpose of arranging the evening's amusement.
Here the subject of the pantomime is determined,
and after the introduction of a Grand Feu de Cartes
Vivantes, a Pas Seul by Maxine. Frederic, and a
great deal of very amusing shuffling, the cards are
cut and the hero of the opening introduced in scene
4th, Interior of the Village Piper's Dwelling.
Here, of course, Charity meets with its own re-
ward. Tom's mother (Mr. Russell), forced to see
beyond her nose; Tom (Miss Caroline Parkes) is
just in pudding-time, and is started by the grate-
ful fairy to save his sweetheart Bopeep (Miss
Louisa Laidlaw) frop the designs of the youth-
ful Giant, Little Long Legs (Signor Milano),
whose sheep-stealing practices have long been
notorious in his neighbourhood. Scene sth
is Bopeep Meadow, attached to Lambkin
Farm, where Bopeep is found asleep, Longlegs
guilty of sheep-stealing, and Tom the Piper very
fond of a pretty girl. There idleness is very pro-
perly punished, and a number of very pretty tails
are finished, and a black sheep worn-out not to be
so black as he is painted. Tom, endowed with a
magic pipe, is despatched by the friendly fairy to
the domains of the wicked Daddy Longlegs, whose
destruction has to be accomplished by the peculiar
means mentioned in history previous to Tom being
married to his lovely but intolent intended wife,
Little Bopeep. This scene is terminated by a Pas-
toral Fête, introducing the magnificent stud of
horses peculiar to this establishment ; a Grand
Arcadian Ballet, and an illustration of Old
English Sports, on which a vast amount
of expense has been carefully expended.
The scene 6th is Pork Pie Pavilion and
Daddy Longlegs Castle. Here, Tom the Piper
meets with the Pig who went to Market, steals the
Pig previously stolen from his Father by the wicked
Longlegs, exhibits some very strange airs to that
young gentleman, leads him a good dance, and ulti-
mately gains admission to the castle through the
influence of one who proves himself to be a greater
goose than himself.

Scene 7th is the Grand Hall Staircase of Daddy
Longlegs. Here Torn "puts every body's pipe out
but his own. The Tables are turned, and Daddy
Longlegs, taken by the left leg and thrown down
stairs as directed, the whole ending with a most ex-
tensive Hop, which is taken in consequence.

Scene Bth. The Retreat of the Fairies leads to the
Grand Transformation Scene, entitled a Coral Reef,
invented and painted by Mr. C. Brew, whose name
is a sufficient guarantee for the excellence of
this artistic production. In addition to the
characters in the opening already mentioned
may be added the following :—Good Temper, Miss
Nellie Nisbitt ; Good Cheer, Miss Louise Smart ;
Dew Drop, Miss Dormer; Fun, Miss Nelly Smith;
and Music, Miss Harriet Pelham. The Pantomime
characters are as follows :—Harlequin, M. Vestris ;
Pantaloon, Mr. Beckingham ; Sprite, Mr. Sextilli an ;
Columbines, Miss Emma Corti and Miss Grosve-
nor ; Harlequina, Miss Esther Austin; Clown, Mr.
Rowella. The music is by J. H. Tully, Esq., and
the whole produced under the direction of Mr. J.
H. Friend. The scenery by Messrs. Charles and
William Brew. In the comic business Mr. Rowella,
the clown, writes all the comic scenes, and is the
pivot on which all the funs turns. Donato Frere,
the one-legged dancer, is here, who astonishes us
with his extreme agility, with waltzing, &c.

An extraordinary action was tried in the Court
of Exchequer yesterday, Messrs. Pearce and
Counteze, coach-builders, of Long Acre, suel a woman
named Brooks for a sum of money on account of a
brougham, which they said they had sold to her. The
defence was that the brougham had been hired, and, fur-
ther, that it was lent by tho plaintiffs, as they well knew,
to enable the defendant to carry on hor vocation as a pros-
titute. The evidence was of a conflicting character, and
strangely significant. Finally the jury returned a verdict
for the defendant, on the ground that the plaintiffs sup-
plied the vehicle to her as a prostitute.