The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-27 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S.

The Christmas piece at this theatre is entitled
Abon Hassan; or, the .Hunt after Happiness. As may be
readily inferred from the name, it has its origin in the far
East, and the costume and extravagance of the dialogue
must be acknowledged to maintain throughout a remote
resemblance to " the country of childhood," as the East
has been not inappropriately designated. How far very
distinct reference to the question of " material gua-
rantees" may interfere with the desirable unities of
, time, as recommended by Aristotle, is not perhaps a
roast beef and plum pudding be satisfactorily mixed, the
very material question t• Christmas critics. Provided the
evening audience of Boxing-night will not very ener-
getically inquire about the mixture of the Czar Nicholas
and Haroun-al-Raschid in the same piece. " The
Sleeper Awakened," a well-known tale, has furnished
the " ground idea " of the present extravaganza. The
first scene introduces the audience to the Fairy Court of
Quarter Sessions, and the night cases on " the sheet "
having been disposed of, Miss Equanecta, or Nightmare,
is commissioned to execute a fairy assault upon the rest
of Abon Hassan, who thereupon conceives such " cha-
teaux en Eepagne " as one would suppose utterly incoa•
ceivable in the case of a person in such reduced circum-
stances. Equanocta is relegated, like a fallen angel,
from her place in Fairyland, till she has undone the evil
she has brought upon the poor merchant. In order to
accomplish her task she puts the caliph and vizier in
motion. These most respectable people visit the house
of Abou Hassan, and to them he discloses his ardent de-
sire for better company than his own domestic circle
and his wife Gulnare can afford him. The great ministers
wish to gratify the desire of the poor merchant, and to
this end they give him a sleeping potion, during the
effects of which he is borne off to the palace, and clothed
in all the paraphernalia of vizirdom. In accordance with
the maxim that "familiarity begets contempt," our
dreamer becomes supremely disgusted with power and his
new wife, the viziress, who, however, is no other than our
merchant's wife, Gulnare, effectually disguised. He is so
pestered with petitions of the must contradictory nature,
that he is willing to find any outlet from the pre-
miership to privacy. He would, however, wish to try
the caliphate before resigning his power. His wish is
gratified, and again he repents of his choice, convinced
at bet that in contentment alone is true happiness to be
found ; upon which discovery Equanocta again returns
to her sisters in Fairyland. Tee piece was interspersed
with the allusions appropriate to the passing time, and
Miss Marshall, who played the principal part (Abon
Hassan), was extremely effective in her part. The ex-
travaganza was completely successful.

OLYMPIC.
The Oyu pro luced at this theatre last night bore the
title of the Yellow Dwarf. The very rising of the cur-
tain was ominous of success—a beautifui scene elicited a
burst of applause ;
and the dialogue at once began to
sparkle, and never flagged all through the piece. N o
two lines could pass withouta pun, a play on words, a
quip, or jest, each nicely balanced, and growing .natu-
rally out of the situation of the moment. The "quality
of joking was not strained," but all was fitness and geilial
humour. The house went along with the author heartily;
nut a point was missed.

The players st,emed as if they knew they had got hold
of-a good thing, and were determined to do it justice.
Mrs. Fitzallan, as a conventional Queen of Burlesque,
Miss St. George (who was dressed " a merveille"), and
Miss Ormonde, were the parties principally concerned.
Mr. Robson made himself up like one of Fuseli's most
grotesque elves, and his spiteful bursts and amorous
maunderings brought him as near to the demon dwarf
of one's imagination as flesh and blood and paint could
come. There was not a check or a mistake in acting or
scenery ; all was satisfactory. For the story, of course
one can only refer to the fairy-books ; and as to the
humour of the piece as played, it was so closely woven
and flowed in so perfect a sequence, that selections. could
but fall flat. A. "tag," adapted to Mr. Robson's
" Villikins' " peculiarities, brought to a close, in every
sense, the most complete and Deservedly successful bur-
lesque that has been produced for some time. It ought
to have a run.