The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-28 00:00:00

THEATRES—THE PANTOMIMES. dental. The Prince sings, and descending from his
DRURY LANE. pedestal, becomes visible and addresses his mistress,
Bilfe's new opera of %he Bondman (Harrison, al-
who is so terrified at the sight of a man that she
thoush evidently still suffering from indisposition, being falls into a swoon. While lying insensible he discovers
by one of his roses, that her heart is true to him,
Sian iently recovered to resume his part), was repeated
here on Saturday evening, previous to the production of and, placing his miniature in her bosom, he escapes,
find that a Boxing reght audience had sufficient the new pantomime ; and we were delighted to as Apricotina enters, to whom her mistress relates
B
that she has seen a living statue. The maid discredits
taste to appreciate this . the chef d'ccuvre of Balfe, the tale, but the Princess maintains that she is right.
-which was listened to throughout with the greatest Apricotina brings the news that the island is threatened
attention, sets enthusiastically applauded, by a how., with an invasion by Prince Furibund, who comes with an
crammed to the ceiling. The pantomime, which is from immense army to demand the baud of the Princess,
the pen of Mr. Morton, is i ntitle.l Harlequin and ..et who, in her despair, wishes for her statuesque lover,
Georg . and the Dragon, and was comptetels successf .1 who suddenly appears, accoutred as a Mexican Ama-
It opens with the abode of Kalyba the Enchantress (Mr. zone and offers to carry a flag of truce to Furibond and
ns Horncastle), a locality not exactly known, but con settle his claim without delay. We are now transported
sossidsred b the Anti uarian Soc et to have been to the camp of Prince Furibond. Leander arrives with
y ye
or other— the flag of truce, and offers Furibond all his tents full of
discovered "somehow orq other—sometim
ilr a' somewhere or .other." Kalyba is attended he gold if he will forego his pretensions to the Princess's
fiends and furies, and is soon joined by th. hand—to which he consents; but seeing the gold rising
'Writs of the elements, Fire, Air, Earth, an in immense piles by the aid of the rose of wealth, he re•
Water. The March of Intellect (Miss Anne solves to kill the savoy and keep the gold. In this he,
,"Yee), however arrives in a balloon and
however, fails—for Leander, by means of his cap, rest-
,
Puzzles Kal)ba sadly. The Enchantress, by the, aid of dering himself invisible, Furibond's guards kill him by
air and water, drives a ship on a lee shore, but V arch ot mistake, and then proclaim Leander king in his stead.
The supposed killed Furibond is carried off the stage,
idNco water. Aided by fire and eetellect, by means of a steam tugar th, ag,
K alyain g
ba rends a its her into
but during the finale of all the characters in the Palace
leeuntain asunder, creating a horrible chasm. Straight-
of Pleasure he suddenly re-enters, and concludes the
piece, amid roars of laughter and shouts of applause, by
way March of Intellect budges over the chasm,
by moans of a viaduct, along which is sect) singing the following comic epilogue:—
"Stup I—l'am dead, but I'd not be forgotten ;
4 railway train, proceedirg on its journey.
In the piece I've an int'rest, pray mind I
,IFelyba feels that her reign is nearly at an end, and
Let it go off—but not like gun cotton,
uterefore determines to do all the mischief that she can.
For that leaves no vestige behind.
and she therefore proceeds to Coventry Castle, where
Nitric acid no doubt is a treasure,
11. e gets possession of St. George and the Seven Chem- But be generous, ye critics who write,
f_i(,),xls—juvenile Champions, as yet, without any know.
And don't blow up our Palace of' Pleasure
l'age of arms except their nurses'—and takes them off.
With the acid in which you delight.
nAccording to the approved rule in " domestic dramas o Let us have a fair share of your leisure,
! Jonas interest," an interval of fifteen years takes
With the rest of the holiday sights ;
Place during this and the next scene, as is
And make this house a Palace of Pleasure,
'flown by the following notice:—" Nothinge material to
In the gay world of Christmas delights."
the° historic" occurring during a period of fifteen years,
The piece was admirably placed upon the stage ; the
author trusts that the audience will allow him to cut scenery, dresses, and decorations were truly worthy of
It!, and come again to scene 4, Kalyba's House of Correc-
the Haymarket, and reflect the highest credits alike
I°l3- At Kelyba'illouse of Correction a slight hitch
upon the management and the artistes. As for the actors
2ecurred. and Harley came forward,. and requesred that we cannot say too much in their praise. Miss P. Her-
` e audience would permit the performance to be sus- ton, we must confess, was as pretty a little invisible
.)!ended for a few minutes, in consequence of the sudden
illness of Mr. W. H. Payne, who was to appear as St. prince as we ever met with in any of our daily marches,
ex-
George, After -an interval of about five minutes, the and one whose prettiness was only equalled by the ex-
?oiformance was resumed, and Mr. Payne's cellence with which she sang her parody songs. Miss
:felrery must have been as sadden as his at. Reynolds and Miss Julia Bennett were most warmly re-
tch, for he not only appeared as St. George ceived, and many of their songs, in company with Miss
_ld went through the character with all that quaint and P. Horton, were heartily and rapturously en-
tg.)l.•?t.esque humour:Which is so peculiarly characteristic cored. Mr. James Bland kept the house in
roars of laughter at his acting ; and the burlesque
spelt Pantomimic perferinances, and which never fails to character he made of the burlesque tyrant Furibond.
malt shouts of laughter and applause. The washing,
e piec.e.was eminently successful, and was announced
du,.. eFrubhing, and feeding, and broth making, suet for repetition amid the most enthusiastic plaudits of a
. 'Mug throwing, with Which this scene is replete, are
house crowded to the ceiling. The principal performers
fleetly' suited to Payee's humour, and be made every
,t 7 tell. Kalyba falls in love with hire, and having at the fall of the curtain were called for, made their ap-
pearance, and bowed their thanks. Mr. Plancbe, also
bellied his companions into stone, enchants St. George
acknowledged from a private box the gratitude he felt
One old
her magic wand, whose first use of it is to enchant
for the continued good opinion of the public ex-
4nejuld lady herself, so as as to put her hors de combat. hibited to him and his works. We venture to
I,`L his next is •to disenchant his companions. The prophecy that the piece will have a long run, and
ekette then, changes to the Dover Roads, and the seven that Planchie who has certainly shown great tact
411.itilpions mounted on basket chargers and cap-u•pie, and ability in the writing of it, interspersing
br'' attended by their squires, enter in grand it as he has done with pleasant sallies and pertinent
4? cession, They (with the exception of St. George) allusions to many of the political events of the day, will
dam out for their respective destinations per rail, each
thereby receive the highest reward that an author can
stpion being accommodated with a horse box—
viii,Georse himself proceeding per "The Ant" steamer, wish for or desire—the approbation of a discerning
English public. The extravaganza of The Invisible
this plies, Plies, between Dover and Egypt fora penny. In Prince was preceded by Bayle Bernard's new drama of
14; scene, also, Payne " made fun" at a great rate. We The Round of Wrong and the laughable interlude of
, ett'!tlfen a grand hall in the palace of King Ptolemy
Story Telling.
Coup u
of the Nile, anir -we find every thing in his
4 :Irt upon,the same grand scale on which every thing
Itir:',ays found in all the Courts of kings of pantomime.
th-.seave.the marilige procession of tae Princess, and
titZirtrisnee of the dragon (Wieland), who, after a mi-
' alese ell,lastion of the trousseau of the bride,
fore !l s s'stfith hr r. A reward is proclaimed
.*Oever will kill the Dragon ; and upon
,„
see Let the proclamation read, certain staid and
&' oking statoi, pillars, if not of the state, at all
kb .0. the palace, put their fingers to their noses after
spoMteimproper and vulgar fashion, and one of them,
sy47kere, really so far forgot himself as to wink his
esbOt. Georg*, however, sallies forth and attacks and
Nrs"ra the Dragon, and the combat between them
Ps taken advantage of by. Messrs. Wieland and
iIV) for exhibiting divers interesting and tasteful
pi.;.flit.s.i.cat Poses Plastiques, from the designs of
thiMfti, representing the reverse of the crown piece of
Ploritish coinage. -The scene then changes to -the
110;14°!: Chivalry, and the transformation takes place.
l', sbeing the Harlequin, Miss Hicks the Columbine,
Tli;Slatthesrs the Clown, and Priorson Pantaloon.
sis,SZ :follow the jumpings, and thumpings, and
Per?, and changes, and hits of pantomime.
le.*lits the best menet; was a corn-chandler's shop.
4eits"tch were divers hits at the recent Cabinet mea
4, and ski corn measures, a lot of " chaff " both.
kelhoct Beene Harlequin proves that there are mot)e
totem 8 than - one of being clever for leaping head
lleei6ic4t out of a bin of clorer-seed. The bin becomes a
01'°111dr, in which Harlequin, attired in the dress
at,.4" porter, takes a comtortable snooze. In the
%at, representing " the Siamese villa " and
tritikle grounds, we have a bed of African marigolds
,tlswtsreled into the (Ethiopian Serenaders, and the
Au: steals a-pair of boots and puts his foot into it.
ititiiVre:patent Indian rubber, and, like the. Dutchman
to sus eseork leg, he cannot stop himself when he begins
laid
.1.1.., tUr he bounds and rebounds like a tennis ball
144:nen at last he is thrown on the ground and at
les ',-Pt iS made to take the boots off, they stretch th.
Ala *lt of ik
tu --.-ee stage. The Spanish nut and the Orlean.
Ist was au illustration of the Montpensier marriage.
p, AY cleverly managed ; but the trick that excited tb.
Ztirtest liughter was the Clown's experiment with gun
1ph!"- lie has charged his gun, and aims at some cat,
Ich appears at the window. The cats disappear, and
*P'eappear-at another window, and thus dodge him for a
4ate, At.length he fires, and brings down a shower of
01144 ss for some time it literally rains cats. This is
stes,9!the-most feline catastrophes to be found in tht
stAris range of the British drama. The Wellington
a of course, is quizzed. We have the inttrior o
Irsarss°P--ea toy 'statue in a toy bog, dragged by to)
'rets;tlshorses.,.in grand procession to the triumphal
fITN,,, vinch it is scarcely fixed, when the whole dig-
, Ettii,P stlid we have a spleendid tableau of Wellington at
44tre°' 'which is• l d Th
- with t pantomime cone u es. t
teieks:Uution to this pantomime goes trippingly off ; the
40%;ei,tire excellent, and the harlequinade first-rate.
Ilityeattud Torn Matthews are alone sufficient to make
Post Pantomime go well, and they were admirably sup
,raesit
Of Mira Hicks and Priorson. Another great
qis the Drury Lane pantomime is, that it is short.
Pan ePierfarmances on Saturday were all over by half•
fai ehlrireenn °'cicck, and this alone, in an entertainment
a very great merit.

LYCEUM.

For some time past the —holiday offerings of this thes-
pian temple to its bounteous friends, the public—and
never were they more bounteous, more boisterous, or
attended in greater numbers, than on " boxing night"—
have consisted in burlesques replete with rich wit,
.parkling repartee, and broad genuine humour, which
were wont to set the house in a roar. Not so on Satur-
day night, as far as the kind of performance is con-
erned, for after the Battle of Life, in which the blood-
less battles of the heart are so truthfully depicted, and
in which Mrs. Keeley, who is a host in herself, draws
tears from those unused to the melting mood, by pieces
of the most natural acting, and as natural pathos as we
ever heard, the curtain rose and introduced es for the
first time here at least, for our memory may be treach-
erous, since the reign of the Keeleys, to a pantomime
bearing the airy title of the Butterfly's Bull. We first
behold the " butterfly's bower," and Priam, King of the
Trojan butterflies (Miss Daly), Papiliona, his Queen
(Miss Howard), and the butterfly court in a flutter at
1 the expected birth of Chrysalinda, afterwards Colum-
bine (Miss Laidlaw), who emerges from a cluster of
How: rs, after having snapt in twain the chrysilia which
confined her. Nonparel (Miss J. Coleman), who subse-
quently becomes Harlequin (Mr. J. Laurie), and other
;silents in attendance on the court, are smitten with the
fair intruder, and sue for her hand. The royal pair de-
fer their decision until they have given their daughter a
fair opportunity of selecting a partner for life, and pos•
sibly thereby enabling her, like real parents in the
world, to " better her condition in life." Theydetermine
therefore, to old a ball, and to invite their insect friends,
and Gadfly (Miss Turner) is dispatched from the Trojan
Court with the invitations. In her progress she encoun-
ors in " Croker Creek" Count Hornet, afterwards Clown
(Mr. J. W. Collier), Colonel Fitz-Scorpion (Mr. Bel
lingham), afterwards pantaloon (Mr. T. Gough), Mrs.
bb, a garden spider (Mr. Yarnold), who, on hearing
o" the entertainment, and that they are not invited, vow
vengeance on the butterfly tribe, but particularly on
Priam, his queen, and lovely daughter ; but Entomo-
togia, the guardian sprite and fairy queen of the insect
race (Miss Grove), overhears their determination, re-
solves to break it to the Court, and to bring confusion to
the hornets. The messenger wends her way to " corn-
ti 'lds and the grasshoppers' glade," where the insect
world—frogs, bees, bluebottles, cockroaches, glowworms,
grasshoppers, beetles, &c., are in full activity. They are
invited to the ball, and in the next scene, entitled "The
Fungus Fen," a succession of dissolving views by Mr.
Child, exhibits the procession of the " insect world" to
the butterfly ball, to which we are next introduced, and
in which various dances take place—a butterfly polka,
‘)y Master Forrest and Miss Frampton ; a grand Pus de
Papillon, by Miss Laidlaw and the butterfly court, and a
nazourka and galope by the whole insect tribe. The
uninvited insects unceremoniously appear upon the scene,
disturb the festivities, and the hornet is in the act of
carrying away Chrysalinda, when the guardian sprite
appears, makes Nonparel and Priam's daughter happy
as Harlequin and Columbine, and the hornet and sc.irpion
Clown and Pantaloon, in expiation of their offences.
and the two frogs (Master F. and C. Lauri), attendant
sprites upon the harlequin. The usual stirring scenes of
pantomimic life ensue; hard blows are struck and returned
with interest, and the leading events of the expiring
year are hit off with some smartness—the despicable
charlatan " What is it ?" and the " Wellington Statue"
comity-, in for their share of ridicule. In scene ten Mr.
Collier drew down shouts of laughter by a fine piece of
burlesque. A soldier, with a wooden leg, is put to
bed, part of which protrudes through the curtains ; with
.1 saw, which he from time to time greased with a
candle, be determines to amputate the limb. Whilst
(pireerperartionggoerl the
ife ; detehed
ehaegdepicteder i
is t
e n nt hge,
them el owdarlakmi
nagt i c
to naaunrd
fro and up and down, the sudden starts, and gutteral sounds
flrnodint
ht heewtahsrhoiantg, andof t
hteh ebni
bloodstained
d
de
stimas
in ee mb d eri eg
hands,
wf tehree s t unsp
richly
coml. g
aSro.
smcieu
sorfe tahnedt rtihc ke sN,
apt ai
or
nt iaclu
Gl a ra yl e
rtyh ei
nchanging
of
ship
ionft :tyro
ui in
gf u full
isdasi
hl ,
pa nmde
nt he
were old ;voooodd. e n
T- 1 ehgegLe d
Lauri pensioners
uri
family,
consisting of Mr. J. Lauri, who made an excellent har-
vfeeqrualing,3a.mndnaMscastersF. and Cw.hLicahurpiele, through
audience.se-
Laidia evolutions,
a clever Clown'; and a
Mr. Collier, pleased the
r, who is 'the " inventor and director of the
comic business " troubled with a bad cold,
pretty and agile Columbine, and
but who was
saloon.
credit on the
dancing, in cenerY, the dresses, the music,
The
at and Mr. Gough a very
fact,respect.ableendPathne-
manathe whole production, reflects great
and will no doubt b!enlelit
forperformed many nights to come.
ST. JAMES'S.—Erfaosis- -
Albeit the Ethiopian The piece was successful,
performances on account Serenaders do not vary their
IPt-GliV SERENADERS.
account of, the various amusements season, yet in giving an
cannot omit the mention of these of the metropolis, we
entertaining, and mcst original peerfmost talented, most
friends who are home for the holiardirrilevveistir
eO
etu
lr
yyo u n g
neither can
difept
trellto
visit the St. James's theatre to he
sere-
naders. They are perfectly unique, and
unap-
proachable. They imitate not,
tated. all they be inn.

_ ~ E
Illr :1? E T
he-ithe character
.. of the 1131:mariCket Theatre for the Taci-
t,
r! wit,
_Anterest, completeness, and excellence of its
4.. istmas pieces, was hardly ever equalled, and rarel)
."Passed. That charaer was fullY maintained, if not
2eelled, oft Saturday evening, by the
act, entitled Tillie Invi-
produnion of a
witttd 4' •
al/ fairy, extravaganza, in one
1,4 re Prince; or, the Island of tranquil De •
9,bt. The
_.ore attem
theLe is the work of that able variteriz
tett"nre, Planate, and is founded on tht: re thi,
3 d'Arr *' tale of Prince Luton. Before ‘4,,,,_ OlB • oun.
Pting
th 4 criticism upon the actors, scenery, or decorations of
Of btlecOovewilrattempt to put our readers•in possession
pip: plot, The-scene lies, at the commencement of the
oe-ri,r-in the royal castle of Allaquiz, a city "somewhere
111„-,,.° SPainish main," whereof Blouzabella is the queen.
tr," Infante Furibond, her only son and heir, is an ex.
P_iri:lrjlinary prince, whose chief amusement consists it.
.I`6",.ng the ladies, and kicking the courtiers and pages
de ~;- Infante has a distant relative, Don Leander, lineally
teslD6olueLEl from the kings of Allaquiz, who is in every
itti -..'athis opposite in person and character, and is con-
thi.; featly hated by the ugly prince. Ambassadors from
their.fidlY tribe of the Cat's-paw Indians arrive, to pay
Lettn,,7hutit tribute to the Queen, and mistaking Don
g'reu-"Lar for the Crown Prince, they treat the latter with
!Its a; lu.,_ ignity, which so enrages him that he induces
niteitt.,er tO banish the unconscious offender. The
4Poatrn'lLLeander repairs to an old bunting lodge, and
aril :Pulses the ancient family seat in the following

• "Before this scat with moistened eyes I stop,
Where first I suck'd my earliest lollipop ;
Here in a frolic mood, at evening's close,
To 4. With a new top I pegg'd my tutor's toes."
disci with
his melancholy, he takes his flute, when an
str,:rahmiliarly wakes a ladder of his leg, and is pre
ehiefe," by Leander—not in spirits, but inhisfl itahned ke r•
defier. "d Protected by him from the attack. gar-
i'Ls• The hunt is now heard approaching, ando Infante
nd 13 thrown from his horse, and in danger ?!
resrlt? killed by a wild boar, when Leander rushes to hi,„
ntrieea-ea lid saves him for which kindness the prince
about t-tlik_his follower's to kill his preserver. They are
has 'jeY, when the Fairy Gentilla, whom Leander
rt a proteeted
under the form of the snake, suddenlyap-
new"' an-, in return for the service rendered to . her,
.__zt
_delivers him from his enemy, and gives him u
t7arlet
eitp and feathers, by means of which ho c.an
.
visri:Port himself wherever he likes, and become in ,
;le when he pleases. She also bestows on him three
whte roses—red, white, and yellow—the first of
andh Confers on its possessor health, the second clove
*jai'
the third is a test of the truth of woman's
*jail,' Provided, he departs on his travels, and is by a
pi " transported to a.forest "five miles distant from the
mars
Where formerly stood Hicks's Hall." Here he
eliatrs the cry of Police," and four sanguinary ruffians
of !f, dragging in Apricotina, own maid to the Princess
t "le Island of Tranquil Delight, who has return( d
L4O the island in search of her mistress' stray parrot.
thander, rendered invisible by his cap, causes the ruffians
e uarrel and kill each other; after which he unbinds
4,Young lady, who, in a capital parody to the air of
„ I`3hQ Bold Dragoon," informs him that her mistress
ereautiful oung princess, who has been brought tip
44413' Strictly hy her mother, und not allowed to see a
• Leander is naturally anxious to see this charming
epreattire: but being told by Apricotina that she cannot
tlssiblY eonve to the island, he has recourse to his
FaPhe , a
Palace
is conYv eyed in an hist Jit to the Hall of Mirror:
la talace of
u Delight, where the Princess Xquizit, little-
dPet is discovered surrounded by her female court. The
aringd intruder concealss himself by his invisible cap,
°sliming the voice of one of the pet parrots, keeps
wilhrol vry animated conversation with te ncess, wit
40,41 e he isi already deeply enamourehd.Pri Apricotina
ttreturns and, relating her adventures in the forest.
ets.,such) a'glowing description of her gallant deliverer
the ...,!!e I rincess is in love with him before she sees him.
ara"! princess and her ladies then go to supper, and a'
using scene then takes place at table, where the
..visible Prince eats all the nice tid bits to which the
corl_licesai helps her favourite cat. After supper the
hurt retire, and the Princess repairs to a grotto in
tad Palace gardens, when the bank of the grotto opens
L
elder appears as the statue of Apollo, after the
- of the
.pases plastique3, on a revolving pe.