The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-22 00:00:00

HER MA,TBSTPS THEATRE.

7 The first pantomime that has ever been produced on this
stage has been written by Mr. E. L. Blanchard, expressly
to employ the vast operatic and choregraphic resources of
this establishment, and, founded upon the familiar old
English story of that name, is entitled " Harlequin and
Tom Thumb ; or, Merlin the Magician, and the Good
Fairies of the Court of King Arthur." The minis ture
hero, personated by Miss Lille Ross, goes through all the
traditionary adventures recorded in the memorable nar-
rative, gets brought out of a magic album by the' art of
the great wizard of the northern climes, shaken up in a
bag of cherry stones, tied up in a batter pudding, swallowed
by a great red cow, further absorbed into the system
of the giant Hurlothrumbo, is devoured by a salmon,
and finally brought before the table of the great King
Arthur, by whom he is knighted, and who appoints him a
residence in the palatial mousetrap, whence he sallies forth
on the expedition that leads to his legendary fate. Here,
however, the good fairy interposes, and he is transformed
into Harlequin, whilst the rest of the principal characters
undergo the usual magical metamorphosis. The celebrated
Lauri Family support the humours of the harlequinade,
and the ballot and the choral departments figure conspi-
cuously in the opening. Mr. William Beverley has invented
some most effective scenic contrivances for the embellishment
of the opening ; and Mr. Tully, by original music, has given
some striking features to the vocal illustrations ; the masks
and characteristic costumes by Dykwynkyn, the expenditure
which has been gone to by the lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith, and
the exertions made by the other artists engaged to develop
the design of the author, will doubtless secure for the bur-
lesque ballet pantomime thus arranged all the additional
advantages of adequate illustration, besides that to be de-
rived from the novelty of such an entertainment in such
an aristocratic region.

DRURY-LANZ' TBEATRE.

tion of all Europe that Austria is bound to emanci- The Christmas annual at this theatre, which for some
pate her for a reasonable consideration, a convic-
years past has assumed a prominent position in catering
tion illustrated by Paris pamphlets, everywhere
oforr
Harlequin
leholiday
andfolktsh,o
Flyingis entiltled "Peter Wilkins;
Women of thethe
pen of
Load
read, and by the pen of the ominous M. GRAND- store Islanqd," and proceeds, as vusual, from h
GUILLOT of the Constitutionnel. Mr. E. L. Blanchard, who has adapted the plot of the
celaerbr
Hungary is performing her part at present admi- hmtitnyg satiomryostof
oPeutaelrlinWilktihnst,
fwhichßobinson has attained a
o
Crusoe.purposos
rably. As yet the tumults have been but few, not According to his version,q equalling that
for dramatic
more than sufficient to show that the popular feel- varies slightly from the original form, the hero, Peter
ing is ready for action whenever it may be required, Wilkins,
repirsesienntrondguctehdeto us
~Intas
.a Cornish ishT. miner, the first
scene ti
and that the general order which prevails is due, being subjected to the tyranny of Black Ralph,tn ihnee'C' captain,
not to deficiency of hatred to Austria, but to the of the mine, he is shut up in its depths all night, but he
ing
st
of thehefrie mine, and is
ndlyassistan ce of the Kobolds, or knock-
conviction that they shall be able to get rid of her
spirits by thems
trtuakeeton
htoislsflrtnllaonvde,
agents by peaceable means. The struggle with the where he is assured that if he remains
Austrians by legal means and passive resistance is nothing ill shall befal him. Peter, who has been smitten
fair Cnt
f h
quite interesting for us Englishmen to witness, withthech
T io
armrsevofanthenis
confident onaia, dau.ghter of the Earl
Fitz-Arthur st
s constancy, but
tho
resembling, as it does so much, those of he is to be severely tested. Tired of the ill
trouCnredwfoornab.,agd
our best patriots, with our HAPSBURGS harda-hearted and
we hornm
y-handed ded Raler, one ph, he resolves to go to
sea),37B fsetl
itt oLtohaed
stunteh Itr no c r anc i
tfi
—the STUARTS. The Hungarians are effect- the'gallant ship The Adventurer, which isu
ing everything by insisting on legal right
avtotyraagi.enWalteliaetihrre
onlytil, the
the vessel veesseaseplinbgecoonmteos ateotilj.olawdsrteck,
andou s magnetic tia•
against illegal prerogative. They assume, most them out of their reckoning, but hurries them to thedanrgewrs-
justly, that everything done by the Austriancavreeesf;hrmhseeril
one
Government since 1848 is clearly illegal; they pass iasrlrainvdes,
iwnhueireewhoenedxerpfluor
csouanstur3,b,toefrtrhane rusmcmaysearnmi alus. he
over, for the present at least, the declaration of or men and women that fly; and falling in love with Yourale-eB.,
independence at Debreczin and the separation from ka
about
onet to
marryo theof
iNlveirn winged
nwo4ince women, whose life
Queenlife
appears
e saves, he hde is
Austria in 1849, and maintain that the laws of minds him of his promise. Tkis brings about the traunsf
re-
Austria
sanctioned and freely sanctioned by FERDI- rilartoionn,p7anydatVetceorm
.i‘cvtuklinnse,ssanthdlicrom,leemncle\LLAtlre.ll,s h Tam-
,theAND himself, llsailor, Jack Robinson, first mate of the Adventurer. are the last legal basis of Hapsburg jo
weshall nut anticipate the peculiar treatment of the story
Government. All that has been octroyed since then by going into further details, nor refer to the brilliant
by the Vienna G effects by which they are said be illustrated, further than
overnment has no more by hinting that Mr. William Beverley's " Transforma-
foundation in law and constitutional right than tion Scene," with the descent of the Flying Women at the
try-sting place of the spreadin,, banian tree, is reported to
the most arbitrary acts of the STUARTS.
be a masterpiece of s( enic and ° mechanical illusion. The
This is, substantially, the J. H. Tully, is sninkgunlaraV, char
most
ter i sti c and
ground which Hun mligslne'al).:vt 11, Mr.m
garians assumed from the first,when,after the battle contrived ; and the conduct' ofYtheYwholet-stutoorsy iisngsaeliacitotuosilz
of Solferico, the frightened Government began to owx:seleidailijaVayvenolvieelssarnsdcosurraggaectiitiavnea
stlnmthie
e as hatrilciellnaidee
feel its way, by the patent offered to the Protestant quins; Miss Vacy and the Misses Gunniss as Columbines
Church—" Church—" the octroyed church constitution."-
and principal dancers; Messrs. Huline and Power as the
But Clowns ; and Messrs. Glindon, Barsby, Martin, H. Naylor,
the people demanded restoration of theirlegalstatus,
and the Lava!er Lee Family as the representatives of the
othermimic characters. The whole has been de-
thereby asserting the illegality
of all done in Church vekp pedanto
regardless of expense by Mr. E. T. Smith, and
1848, Since then the greater struggles carefully arranged under the experienced direction et Mr,
matters § ruggleT iACC g4dPert 4ozbi.