The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, • FI?.IDAY EVENING-, DECEMBER 27, 1861.

THE CHRIS TMA 8 ENTERTAINMENTS,

We do not recollect to having seen a more ge-
neral suspension of business on" Boxing-day" than
that which prevailed yesterday. The holiday
keepers were fortunate in the weather; for except-
ing; a slight fog which partially enveloped the me-
tropolis in the morning, it was all that could be
desired by those whose tastes led them out of doors
—and these were not a few, for over 39,000 visited
the Crystal Palace alone. The Zoological Gardens
and other places in and about London in which
out-of--door amusements were offered had also a
goodly number of visitors. The great attraction,
however, was of pun the theatres in the evening.

I)RURY-LANE.

The title of the pantomime at this theatre is

"Harlequin and the House that Jack Built; or,

Old Mother Hubbard and her Wonderful Dog,"
and is the production of the regular pantomime
writer of the theatre, Mr. Blanchard. In the first
scene is represented the interior of Mother Hub-
bard's cottage, where she is receiving several of the
heroines of nursery books, as Dame Wiggins of
Lee, and Dame Trot and her Wonderful Cat. In
the neighbouring manor-house of Rookwood lives
a Squire who has a reputation for burning witches,
and a consultation is held by the three elderly
ladies as to the best means of counteracting his
machinations. An incantation in the " Witches'
Glen" enables them to obtain some important in-
formation, the chief which is that by virtue of an
old forest charter anyone who gets a house built on
ground on a common between sunset and sunrise
has a right to hold the house and ground for ever.
A pleasant, good-natured but "tattered and torn"
youth, known as Jack, is adopted by the schemers
as one adapted to promote their objects, and they
resolve to make him a much greater person than
the dreaded Squire. After the village festival, on
the occasion of the coming of age of the Squire, and
his installation into his property, which he shows
he has rather peculiar notions of managing, a troop
of dwarf builders set about constructing the "House
which Jack built," under the direction of Mother
Hubbard. The result, which is brought about
somehow, and it is needless to inquire too curiously
into the consequentiality of the means, is that the
Squire is duly punished and surrenders his estate
to Jack, and the transformation scene is led up to

in the usual way, and takes place in the " Will o'
the Wisp's Fairy Home." This, or something ap-
proaching to it, is an outline of the plot,upon which,
as everyone knows, very little indeed depends. In
truth, the design of the author is carried out with
much minuteness of detail; and there being no spe-
cialty in actin g,or what is technically termed business
in the earlier scenes, the drama so called began to be
somewhat wearisome, though it was relieved by two
scenes of groat beauty, notably "The Witches' Glen
and Waterfall," which is an admirable specimen of
scene-painting, as distinguished from mere glitter
and ornamentation. Here was poured on to the
stage an interminable corps de ballet—that is, their
number seemed to be without end, and by means of
skilful grouping they were caused to multiply them-
selves to an extent which can only be appreciated
by being seen. The dancing of the Misses Gunniss
was here a marked feature. There was a well-acted
I)og (Signor Lorenzo) to Mother Hubbard, although
his appearance was more that of a gorilla ; a capital
cat, an unexceptionable goose, and some singularly
lifelike and lively frogs ; but with all these adjuncts

the scenes went heavily until the introduction of a
large band of clever and well-trained children of
sizes dwindling down to little toddlekins, who, by
the apt and bustling way in which they worked at
the "building of Jack's House," made a decided
sc....alien, and brought down the first burst of ap-
plause which had been elicited by anything except
by the scenic art of Mr. Beverley. Matters went
better and with greater effect until the culminating
transformation scene, the" Wi 11 o'-the-Wisp's Home
beneath the Waterfall," in which effects were pro-
duced which were really novel, and of course mag-
nificent. The electric light was used with the most
striking results, and a shower of golden spray
which descended from the place where the sky is
supposed to be, may be mentioned as being most
rare in idea, and most effective in the carrying out.
Loud calls were here raised for manager and artist,
and amidst the most enthusiastic applause Mr. Smith
and Mr. Beverley had to bow their thanks.
The harlequinade then commenced with two Clowns,
Messrs. A Forrest and Huline ; two Pantaloons,
Messrs. Tanner and Morley ; two Columbines, the
Messes Gunniss ; and a battalion of sprites and
tumblers. This part of a pantomime is usually taken
on trust, and it may besufficient to say that, though
the Clowns, one especially, were more acrobatic
than humorous, yet their spirits were high and
their exertions unflagging, so that everything went
well, and the bustle kept up in a satisfactory man-
ner. There can be little doubt that the pantomime
will have one of those rune whichbelong as of course
to the Christmas pieces at Drury-lane. There
was a tremendous house; and it may be mentioned
that " God Save the Queen," when played at the
end of the overture, was received with strong feel-
ing by the audience, and on their unequivocal
demand played a second time.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-
GARDEN.

The entertainments here were the " Puritan's
Daughter" and the pantomime ".Harlequin Gulli-
ver."

There was an enormous house, crowded from the
orohestra to the highest regions. The opera was
much curtailed for the sake of the pantomime.
The pantomime is from the practised pen of Mr.
J. M. Morton. It sets out with a representation of
the Temple of Pantomime in a ruined and dilapi-
dated state. The Genius of Pantomime appears in
the shape of an aged lady of somewhat seedy aspect,
who laments her fallen condition. She is in company
with a few of her ancient friends, now retired from
business—Mother Goose, Puss in Boots, Little Red

Riding Hood, Robinson Crusoe, and others, together
with two fairies, Fun and Fancy. This conclave
resolve to come to the relief of " genius in distress,',
by assisting her in getting up a Christmas enter-
tainment for the public. They resolve to adopt, as
a subject, the adventures of Captain Lemuel Gulli
ver, and this matter being settled, the drama begins.
We are transported to the enchanted realms of Fun
and Fancy—a beautiful scene, by the way, peopled
by groups of fairies, whose dances, as they surround
their Queen, in the person of Mdlle. Lamoureux, are
as pretty as anything of the kind we have ever seen.
Mdlle. Lamoureux is a danseuse of the highest class
and reminds us, in the extreme lightness of her
movements, of the charming Cerito. We now see
the rocky coast of Brobdignag,with its gigantic cliffs
towering to the skies. Gulliver, accompanied by Mrs.
Gullivcr,his better half,are in a boat pulling ashore.
Where they came from, or how they got there does
not appear, nor does it matter. They succeed in
landing, and are instantly surrounded by a host of
the animal aborigines—geese, and other fowls, gi-
gantic lobsters, oysters, and shrimps, who form
dances with the wondering strangers. Then Mr. and
Mrs. Gulliver are in the interior of a Brobdignag
menage. There is a monstrous bed with a gigantic
old gentleman occupying it, whose moonlike visage
is seen peering from between the curtains ; a gi-
gantic baby in an immense cradle—a cat, &c., all of
corresponding dimensions. The adventures of the
two pigmies among all these giants are grotesquely
fanciful enough. Various adventures now happen to
the pair, in the course of which the lady is lost—at
least she disappears we do not know how, and never
appears again; but Gulliver iscast ashore in asense-
less state on the coast of Lilliput. While in this con-
dition he is surrounded by troops of Lilliputians,
who are at first terrified at the sight of the Man-
mountain ; but they succeed in binding him and
making him prisoner. The drama then follows the
steps of Dean Swift's veracious narrative, Gulliver

becomes a great -man, captures the fleet of Ble-
fuscu, re ceives an ovation, and becomes com-
mandcr-il :-chief of the forces ; but at length
becomes obnoxious to the population and is
obliged to .run for- it in order to save his life; and
here the adi-tntures of Gulliver end, and the trans-
formajons hcg in. All the Lilliputian scenes are
reapir o,,,imirable. The scenic representation is so
skilfully .mant• geti. as to create a complete illusion.
The atinvit,,-,. inaniniate objects were all so well
proportioned' to each other that the multitudinous
groups.oflLullii..utians—men, women, and children
—appeared,of the,' ordinary size, while Gulliver in
the midst of them r.,7-111Y looked like a giant. The
tiny performers who personated the Lilliputian
sovereign and the couri---the grave dignitaries of
the state, the soldiers and sailors, were most excel-
lently drilled, and enacted their parts with a gra-
vity that was often quaint in the extreme. There
is a grand review by the commander-in-chief of all
the various Lilliputian volunteer rifle corps; and
there is a court ball, in which the may-mountain
figures in a minuet and gavotte with the Queen, a
most stately little lady whose lofty plumes do not
reach his knees. All these things are exceedingly
happy, and met with great and deserved applause.

The transformation scene, which es usual forms
the connecting link between the drama and the
harlequinade, is of such marvellous 'brilliancy—so
rich and gorgeous—that it is quite sufficient of itself
to draw crowds to the theatre for many nights to
come. Certainly We have never before seen on the
stage any such combination of light and colour.
The scene represents the bottom of the sea, with
shells, groves of coral, and the other objects which
poets describe as filling the caves of the ocean, and
among them sea nymphs engaged in making their
toilet. Never has the pencil of Callcott been more
truly magical.

The last part of the performance—the Warlequin-
ade—was very good; but such things are all alike,
and their constant sameness shows great poverty
of invention. The pantomime characters, however,
were excellently sustained. There were two Har-
lequins, Messrs. F. Payne and S.Lauri ; two Clowns,
Messrs. H. Payne and E. Lauri ; Mr. H. Lauri was
Pantaloon, and Miss Jenny Lauri Columbine. We
should have said before that the character of Gulli-
ver was performed by Mr. W. H. Payne, and that
Mr. F. Payne was Mrs. Gulliver.

HAYMARKET.

Mr. Bucktstone makes two very wise arrange-
ments for Boxing-night. He begins his evening
with an entertainment which is so good that no one
is in an unseemly hurry for the pantomime, and he
makes his pantomime, when it comes round, just
the sort of thing which children and young people
like, with a nice juvenile story, beautiful scenery,
and plenty of tumbling and dancing by the dramatis
persona. Mr. Sterling Coyne's comedy of " Black
Sheep" was immensely relished yesterday evening.
The ladies, Mesdames Young and II ilkins acted
splendidly ; Mr. Compton was as dry and as humor-
ous as usual,and the lessee himself acted in a manner
which showed how little he reflected that it wouldbe
his painful duty to spend the latter part of the even-
ing in a state of frantic collision with the carpenters
and scene-shifters. Everybody was called before the
curtain at the end of the play, and nobody showed
any impatience for the pantomime. The latter,
however, was quite up to the Haymarket standard
of excellence. The innocent love of Miss Muffet
for the Little Boy Blue was the theme, and it was
worked out with a completeness and splendour
which must have delighted the wholejuvenile audi-
ence. It may be an insult to the literary research
of the majority of your readers to suppose that they
now hear of this interesting love story for the first
time ; but lest there should Ls one or two who still
(main in ignorance, we must inform them that
little Miss MuiLt, whilst sitting on a Tuffet and
enjoying an arcadian banquet of curds and whey,
suddenly conceived a violent passion for the Blue
Boy (not Gainsborough's), who is so insensible to
her love that ho spends the principal portion of his
time under the haycock fast asleep. Anenvious spider
—there are envious spiders everywhere—becomes
his rival, and the dreadful schemes of this Daddy
Long Legs, who wishes to pass for a genuine
Tarantula, supplies the horrid incidents of the intro-
duction. Poor Miss Muffet receives several dread-
ful bites, and Little Boy Blue restores her to life by
the well-known specific of " blowing his horn.''
Then Blue Boy gets bitten in turn, and there would
be universal destruction, and no end of coroners' in-
quests, were it not for the benevolent intervention
of Queen Bee, who always turns up at the nick of
time, counterplots Daddy Long Legs, and preserves
Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue until they are
wanted for the harlequinade. The accessories to this
famous dramatic entertainment are superb. There
is a sweet scene of a wooded valley for the opening,
and a brilliant one with moonlight and wax lights
for the nocturnal ballet of the Bees; but the climax
is of course the transformation scene, in which Mr.
Fenton (if he could only get the scenery to move a
little faster) surpasses all his former triumphs. A
field of golden corn is seen to sway and bend to and
fro to the whispers of a gentle summer breeze. Anon
the stems fall away right and left, and beehives of
fanciful form, and sparkling as if they wero all
made of koh-tnoors, rise slorly and (last night)
somewhat hesitatingly in the open space. Then the
bees, who are uncommonly like handsome young
ladies, Fop up their heads, each brilliantly illumi-
nated, and the poppies and corn-flowers all burst
open in admiration, whilst the audience burst forth
into a tremendous peal of applause. But this is not
all. Trellis of sparkling gold rises up gradually on
all sides, and wheels of equal lustre begin to spin ;
until finally red and blue fire shed their light over
the scene, and the cheering is only interrupted by
the frantic cries of " Up, up," from the boys in the
back of the gallery, who cannot possibly get enough
of the scenic splendour. It would be impossible to
imagine a greater magnificence of stage effect than
was produced by this transformation scene. Mr.
Fenton was cheered to the echo, but he was too busy
with his carpenters at that moment to pay any at-
tention to his vc'ation. There was good popular
music, and more than one parody that was encored.
The actors exerted themselves commendably, both
in talking and tumbling, and Miss Louise Leclercq
made quite a character of Little Miss Muffett. The
harlequinade, which, at the best of times is a dread-
ful contrast to the splendour of the introduction, has
this year the merit of being brief, Miss Rosin°
made a graceful columbine, and Mr. Charles Le-
clercq a most agile clown. There were some good
carpenters' scenes, and the whole entertainment
finished gloriously with the picture of the good
ship Warrior steaming out to sea.

King Rat and protects Dick Whittington, who
appears to be a very cheery and civil-minded young
gentleman. The introduction of Good Humour leads
to a very brilliant scene representing a bower of
roses, in which the really efficient ballet of the
theatre admirably exhibit their Terpsichorean at-
tainments; and Robin Goodfellow (Master Haslem)
is sent, in the likeness of a cat, to watch over the
welfare of Dick Whittington. This cat is a very
clever one. We are then introduced to ancient East-
chepe, where there is represented a spleddid exte-
rior view of Master Fitzwarren's shop. As a mat-
ter of course Turn again Whittington becomes
enamoured of a Miss Fitzwarren (Miss Pauline
Leclereq), but the wicked apprentice, Bad Lot,
accuses Dick of having made away with certain
meat (a loin of veal) and drink, but which had been
appropriated by a cook and presented to her lover,
Bull's Eye (Mr. Moreland), a member of the force.
The unfortunate Whittington is given in charge,
but he escapes from the police, and is found sleep-
ing on the milestone at Highgate—probably the one
which is now to be seen near the residence of the
benevolent Miss Burdett Coutts. Another matter
of course is that Dick is awoke by the bells ringing
out, Return again Whittington, Lord Mayor of
London town. Bad Lot has followed and is about
to kill him, but Dick is protected by the cat, which
accompanies him as a protector throughout his
career. Dick goes through various adventures, and
is cast ashore with his cat in the territories of
King Kollywobbol, whose kingdom is de-
vastated by rats, the number of which
had increased since the old enemy of Dick
—viz., Bad Lot, bad been introduced in the
region through being wrecked on the coast. Dick
eventually gets rid of Bad Lot, and marries the
Princess. The pantomime was admirably put on
the stage, and the music in excellent keeping with
the characteristics of the piece; but we think the
author has neglected abundant opportunities of
introducing some good old English ballads, which
would add materially to its success. The " cat"
was a capital performance, and frequently put the
house in "roars of laughter." The piece requires
only a slight curtailment in some parts to render it
a favourite with the public.