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

AS TLEY'S.

The Christmas fare at this house appears under
the somewhat stupendous title of " Harlequin Tow.
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 great
congress of cards, dominoes, and dice ; " The Inte-
rior of the Cottage of the Village Piper," whose son
is " Tom, the Piper's Son ;" " 80-Peep's Meadow,"
" A Pork-pie Pavilion," and the " Grand Hall ill
the Castle of Daddy Long Legs." Tom, who has
sworn to his lady-love, 80-Peep, to punish Daddy
Long Legs, who has stolen her sheep, these suc-
ceeds, by means of an enchanted whist le pipe, of
which he becomes mysteriously possessed, in throw-
ing the establishment in a general commotion and its
respected owner downstairs, which feat being highly
satisfactory to 80-Peep, terminates that part of the
performance, and transports the audience into a
" Fairy Haunt," in which Miss Caroline Parkes
appears in the triple pantomime characters of
Clown, Pantaloon, and Harlequin. Mr. E. T.
Smith, the enterprising lessee, like Glendower, can
" call spirits from the vasty deep," but he also shows
how " they will come when he does call for them."
Believing the resources of the land to be exhausted
he determined to search for novelty at the bottom
of the sea, and the dress rehearsal which took place
on Saturday evening showed with what remarkable
success his endeavours had been attended. The cur"

tam rises upon the " Submarine Retreat of Mother
of Pearl," where we are introduced to a large arinY
of " finney-uns,"comprising both cavalry and infan-
try, sprats, mackerel, herrings, turbots, &c., when
the animated fishes are called upon to follow the
fortunes of " Tom, the Piper's Son;" and then
again, the trsnsformation scene, we sink into the
water, not amongst the fishes, however, but .upon
a coral reef, the haunt of nymphs. This scene
is probably one of the finest which has been
placed upon the stage. It opens with a view of
the coral reef through a thick hazy sea, in whiOl
gracefully posed groups of nymphs appear to be
floating. As the water becomes clear, all
effect which is produced by raising singly
great number of gauze curtains, fresh objects,
the faint and misty outlines of which before
were alone visible, gradually develop themselveß)
until the whole becomes one blaze of light a' ,eau
tifully-blended colours, which lose their unpleasant
glare from the steadiness with which the interisiti
is increased. This extraordinary production, which
must have exhausted the whole resources of both
artists and mechanist, must be seen, as it is imps";
sible by description to convey even a remote idea of
its grandeur and at the same time remarkably pleas:,
ing effect. The audience on Saturday were so well
pleased that both Mr. Smith and Mr. Charles Bret,
(the inventor, designer, and painter) were twica.
called beforethe curtain. In the harlequinade seve;
ral novelties were introduced, amongst which er
an exceedingly clever one-legged dancer, ea 0
"Le Frere Donato," and " The Infant Wonderil'ei
George Parkes, with his performing pony. r-1-
dresses, appointments, and, in fact, the entire Pall;
tomime, is deserving of the highest praise, and 0
no doubt draw full houses during the whole of
season.

SURREY.
The entertainments consisted of Mark Lelol3.
drama of " Honesty the Best Policy" (in
many of the old favourites at the old establishole':
exerted themselves to the satisfaction of the 3ucli..
e
tory), and a new pantomime, written by "Tess
Jolly Dogs," and called " Harlequin King Gli:rs;
or, Tom the Piper's Son and See-Saw Marg,:ieo
Daw." Making all allowancs for the diffiouTof
incidental to the first night of a new theatre ar''
must
an entirely new performance, the pantomime ;
be admitted to have " worked" very successfill
and although Mr. Shepherd, the manager, tb°ll34
it necessary, on one occasion, to come forwaruo
e
seek the indulgence of the audience, he might I 1-
have spared himself that not very agreeable.tlc,
The pantomime opens with the abode of Full inra is
Realms of Fancy, in which the difficult proble
sought to be solved as to which is the most efW'