The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-27 00:00:00

ADELPHL

The performances at this favourite temple of Mo-
mus consisted of the adaptation, in a dramatic form,
of Mr. Dickens's Christmas book, the Haunted Man,
the Enchanted Isle, and Slasher and Crasher. We
have already spoken of the taste and energy displayed
by the actors at this theatre in the interpretation of
Mr. Dickens's new work and its motto, " Remember
wrongs, in order to forgive them," and have only to
add that on each night of the reproduction of the
Haunted Man, the circle of the readers of the book
among the auditory having nightly become increased,
the merits of the piece and the successful exertions of
the artists have been thoroughly appreciated and ap-
plauded. The beautiful scenery of the Eachanted
Isle, and the drolleries of Wright and Bedford in
Slasher and Crasher, by turns delighted and amused
a crowded house; and the evening's entertainment
abundantly maintained the ancient reputation of Ma-
dame Celeste's popular and well ordered company.

LYCEUM.
The most magnificent and superb spectacle that
has ever been produced, even under the various ma-
nagements of Madame Vestris, was produced here last
evening. The title of this very gorgeous, yet most
elegant production, is The King of the Peacocks,
being a dramatic version by Planche of one of the
fairy tales of the Countess d'Alnois. The story is to
the following effect :—The Princess Rosetta (Miss
Louisa Howard) has been confined in a tower for the
first fifteen years of her Mil. During the period of
her imprisonment she has seen a peacock, and has, in
consequence of her admiration for the bird, " regis
tered a vow" to wed none save the King of the
Peacocks. Her brothers, Prince Florizel (Miss K.
Fitzwilliam) and Prince Jessamy (excellently acted
by Miss Jane Coleman) set out in quest of his Pea-
cockian Majesty, and are conducted by a May-fly
(Mr. John Reeves) to the court of Argus the
Brilliant-eyed, King of the Peacocks (Madame
Vestris). They present to his Majesty the portrait
of their sister, and the Peacock King consents to make
her his queen, if her beauty should prove equal to
the portrait, but insists on retaining the Princes as
hostages at his court. May-fly is dispatched for the
Princess, who, accompanied by her gouvernante, the
Baroness Huggermugger, and by her faithful dog
Fretellon (Mr. H. Allarbhall) " a green dog with one
ear," embarks on board the Chinese junk, commanded
by Poo-le-ha-le (Mr. Harley), for the land of the
Peacocks. In the course of the voyage they meet
with the Sea Serpent, who is in a hurry " to dine at
the Admiralty," and who has scarcely passed, when
the Baroness, instigated thereunto by the malicious
fairy Fickle (Miss L. Marshall), proposes to Poo- le-
ha.le to throw the Princess and her dog overboard.
and to substitute for her Runfizina, the daughter of
the Baroness herself. The Princess and her dog are
thrown overboard, and on the arrival of the junk at
the land of the Peacocks Runfizina is presented to the

Rho, di.guatt d with her ugliness, causes her
ande'l'ler mother to be thrust into a dungeon, the
Chinese junk to be seized, and orders the Princes to
be put to death. They, however, obtain a week in
which to produce the real Princess, who, having
been saved by the fairy Faithful (Miss Marshall),
arrives at the court, and is married to the King. The
first part of the burlesque drags heavily—in fact, it
depends for its success almost solely on the splen-
dour of the spectacle, and it is impossible to imagine
anything mole gorgeous, both as regards decorations
and costume, than is the court of the King of the Pea-
cocks. Madame Vestris acted the king with infinite
archness, and surg her parodies admirably. The
parody on " The Breeze," and the imitation of the
ship scene in Hayclie, was capitally given. Young
John Reeve as the May-fly also sung an admirable
parody in the first act, and was deservedly encored ;
his May-fly was not unworthy his father's Cupid ;
and Harley as Po-le-ha-le made fun ; yet still the
first act dragged until the conclusion, when a nautical
dance on the deck of the junk (a sort of sailor's horn-
pipe of eighteen) brought down the curtain with
much applause, and was enthusiastically encored.
The second act was much better, the jokes
were more frequent, and there was altogether more
business and more fun. We had in this act O'Don't-
know-who, a Milesian fisherman, admirably rolled
through by H. Hall, and Soyez-tranquilla, chef de
cuisine of the King, capitally made up and broadly
caricatured by Selby. The scene of the blessing the
rolling-pin was a magnificent burlesque on the poignard
blessing scene in the Huguenots. The last scene, " a
magnificent termination to a peacock's tale," is the most
superb and ingenious combination of brilliant effects,
gorgeous scenery, and ingenious mechanism that we
have ever seen. It surpasses anything of the sort that
has ever been accomplished on any stage, and secured
for the piece a brilliant triumph. Miss Fitzwilliam,
as the Prince, sang a series of parodies of grand
scenas from operas (" Casta Diva " among
the rest) with great taste ; but we would
ask Mr. Planche to consider whether such
airs as these are the best adapted to burlesque—
we think not. The part of Fretellon, the dog,
was sustained most effectively by Mr. H. Marshall,
whose feats of tumbling were exceedingly grotesque.
There are several beautiful incidental dances, one
more especially in the second act, in which the sea is
broke up into waves dancing in the bands of the
fairies. At the conclusion all the principal artistes
were called for, as was'the author, who bowed his ac-
knowledgments from a private box. The house was
crowded.

SADLER'S WELLS.
The pantomime at this suburban theatre, the scene
of triumph of Joe Grimaldi,and Bologna, is from the
pen of Mr. Greenwood, and is entitled Harlequin and
the World Turned Upside Down; or, Number .Nip
and the Enchanted Fountain. Every portion of
Sadler's Wells was crowded to suffocation, and, in
accordance with time-honoured practice, more than
an ordinary amount of hilarity
and fun prevailed
among the audience, who came to disport themselves
with the Christmas offering. Otway s Venice Pre-
served was the first piece provided for the entertain-
ment of the holiday folk, and which was, as a matter
of course on boxing-night, mere dumb show ; at times
the acting of Mr. Bennett had the effect of restoring
quiet, but only while he was on the stage ; imme-
diately he quitted it the boisterous voice of hilarity
and mirth was heard revelling in all its glory. At
last the curtain fell on the tragedy—a welcome to the
denizens of the upper region. The pantomime was
preceded by a very pretty medley overture, and, after
the usual shouts of " Down," " Hats off," " Horder,''
Etc., the curtain rose. The opening scene consists of
an illustration of the present state of Europe, with
the triumph of revolution over several foreign mo-
narchs. Revolution in the c..ntre, with Liberty,
Equality, and Fraternity, as his attendant sprites, and
Failure, Disappointment, and Moonshine.as his follies.
The scene is changed ; we are conducted by a dio•
ramie railroad to the goblin's golden land, leading to
the Gnome King's metallic palace in the centre of the
earth. In the valley of Wolfenbattel, at the foot of the
Hartz Mountain,the transformation of theGnomeKing's
palace is really beautiful, and it was rapturously
applauded. Here the Vegetable. Court is introduced,
and a scene of amusement for the Princess's special
delectation got up, including a pas de trois grotesque
navets, and a pas de quatre aux carrottes; and in
this splendid palace the transformation then takes
place, Nip becoming Clown, Prince Ratibor Harle-
quin, King Log Pantaloon, Brunhilda Sprite, and
the Princess Columbine. The comic scenes open with
a view of the new Coal Exchange, which is followed
by the exterior of the Colosseum, well-known shops
in London, and the Champs Elysees. The tricks are
very plentifully scattered through the pantomime, but