The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-28 00:00:00

ADELPHI.

The Christmas entertainments at this theatre opened
with Burnaby Budge, being an Adelphi version of the
celebrated tale by Boz. Full of genuine nature and good
dramatic positions, Banally, taken in individual points
of view, forms an excellent stage-piece : but only so far;
for while the imperturbable importance of Yeoman Var-
den, by Paul Bedford ; the aspiring. propensities of
Simon Tappertit, .the apprentice (Wright) ; and the
tenderer circumstances which surround the widow and
her aglicted son, please greatly when regarded ss single
incidents, their; ,effe9t is greatly diminished when
cOmbined. This fault rests not with the dramatiser, but
with the original, for beautifully drawn as is each cha-
racter per se, yet, when massed together, so as to form
a whole, the shades of difference are of so homogeneous
and identical a cast, and so much on it level with each
other, that due prominence is specially observable in no
one.many
lenthe
t. hia Ad
exquisitel v e i
ar
tsit I(.)inh,n
ttehe poor
aan
d idiotthe i
ms
eshorn o
feli-
citous touch about Miss Chaplin's acting, was her lying
down before the fire, desiring to look in it, at the bright
dales, and visions, and "strange faces" that glittered
within its compass. In the burlesque of Norma, poor
John Reeve, had he been living, would have been
glorious ; nor was Mr. Paul Bedford far behind him in
rich humour and mimickry last night. Nevertheless, he
hit off attitudes far better than tones ; his portly dimen-
sions, rotund as three Friar Tucks, or the great tun of
Heidelberg, represented in treble magnitude the lady-
protelmi whom it intended to figure out. The configu-
ration of his coronal, consisting of alternate turnips and
erectdittle carrots, served for Miss Ken3ble's crown of oak-
leaves ; but the satire was deficient in fineness, and was
but ill-sharpened by wit. Adalgisa, intended to mirror
forth Miss Rainforth, who generally, in her song and
acting, reminds one of " Melancholy, the starred Ethiop
Queen," was well struck off by Wright ; while Pollio, in
his smart Roman toga and spangled hem, was pourtrayed
by Mrs.
,Grattan, in Voice, gait, and gesture, even to
admiration. Last came the Pantomime, y'clept The
Little 011 Woman and her pig; or, Harlequin Pedlar
and the Magie.Pettieout. Young faces, which had been
sunny at Norma, brightened up miraculously as the first
scene discovered the Queen-moon and her attendant
satellites engrossing the whole of the stage. Soon,
however, the planetary stillness was disturbed by
the appearance of the Prince of Darkness in
sable panoply. Rising, like himself, out of trap-
doors, two monstrous myrmidons attended his bid-
ding in the super-hiiman regions of night. Rose-
bud, a beautiful girl upon earth, is the subject of his
malevolent desires. But the Powers of Light, who re-
side in the vermeil realms of Aurora, are equally bent
upon gaining the same object. Satan and his demoniacs
employ, therefore, as their human agent, the pompous
and consequential Mayor of the district in which Rose-
bud dwells. The Powers of Light, on the other hand,
catch Orlando, a pedlar, in their celestial dominions, at
this period of time, and him they chose as their dele-
gate. The love of Rosebud is only to be gained by-
cutting off the enchanted petticoat of her crabbed
guardian, a little sour Dame Quickly, which has its
border set round about with certain cabalistic devices.
Both representative heroes of these '‘` powers that
be" are forthwith armed with a pair' dr silver
shears, and despatched like knighterrantelipalthe
achievement. Our dame with the charined pettidbat,
while driving her pig to market, drops asleep by the
road-side. Orlando arrives on his quest: Siren voices
urge him to seize the happy moment. He cuts the pet.
ticoat, and is led by it to the cottage of Rosebud; while
the pompous Mayor shortly after arrives, only to prove
his disappointment. But here the trial of strength does
not end ; the magic duck that flies about the lake is to
be shot ; both competitors have this equal chance.
Orlando fires, captures the duck, wins his beautiful
Rosebud, and while one becomes the Colum-
bine, the other is Metamorphosed into Harlequin.
Here the merriment begins. Miss\Bullen, skimmermg
about in her silver sheen, was a graceful Columbine, and
showed much flexibility of limb ; Mr. Frampton, the
silver-winded magician of the night, possessed great
elasticity of toe. Wieland's inimitable powers were in
full play, and appeared to excellent advantage in an in-
terminable variety of evolutions and tricks. Of the latter
description, the one between the clocks toll excellently,
wherein a Dutch clock falls out at midnight with
a French clock ; the duel is performed by them
with a couple of clock pendulums, and finally
for a breach of the peace, an old watchman locks them
up for the offence. Another upon the "Parliament
strike" was equally happy; and a third, whereby "goods
imported" changed into "the Prince of Wales," who
petitAs majesty and
the scenery, it is
and plumes, amused
mthaerciulevdenfiolersthmiunchh.iS
brilliant to a 'decyree. In the scene of the " Aurora"
it appeared with' perfect enchantment ; for in addi-
tion to fair forms arrayed in diaphanous vestures,
and the sweet radiances that pour upon the scene from
the morning=star, the introduction of real water, in
which the shades and images of all the brilliant things
above and itruund are reflected, presented a scene of
actual fascination. A great deal of splendour and fancy
pervades the whole pantomime, and the display of pyro-
technics at the.elose created a piece of theatrical meld-
cence that was 'enbanced by all forms and colours of rose,
venation, and geld. .The Water-scenes, indeed, were truly
admirable. Altogether it was much applaudedi and, when
rehearsal makes the performance more cornet, It will,
doubtless, be a general favourite. 4Motig the audience
we observed Lord Ward anti othor fliskionables of ton.
P