The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S.

"The production of two new pieces in addition to a panto-
mime, en Christmas Eve, proved that the zeal of the ma-
nagers of this theatre is still unflagging, while the charac-
ter of two out of the three novelties showed that experience
has not yet taught them wisdom in selection, or art in pro-
duction. More preposterous nonsense than " Garibaldi's
Englishman," a farce which commenced the evening, was
probably never seen. The notion that an English dealer in
pickles who had some contract with the Italian array, should
pass himself off on his return as " Garibaldi's Englishman,"
and that ho should in consequence become the hero of
those mistakes and designs only to be met with in farces,
might have been made funny enough had it been treated by
Mr. Coyne or Mr. Morton, who know every trick of the
school ; but the genius on the present occasion, who is de-
scribed in the bill as a " popular author," has given the
merest conventional outline of plot, set in tho dullest dia-
logue, and laden with the heaviest fun. Mr. Charles
Young worked hard, and did his best with a part from which
it was impossible to extract humour, and Mr. Barrett had
an opportunity of wearing that singular deformity of fore-
head which he imagines represents old age, and of being
generally bluff and hearty.
This damp and dismal farce was succeeded by a very
pretty, graceful, sparkling little sketch called the " House-
hold Fairy." The notion is originally French, but it has
been very cleverly rendered by Mr. Frank Talfourd, who
has supplied a great deal of telling, pointed dialogue, and
performed his work throughout in a thoroughly artistic and
satisfactory manner. The plot is as follows :—Julian de
Clifford (Mrs ii. T. Craven), the last scion of an old family,
has run through all his means, has sold almost the last
stick bf his furniture, and as he looks upon working for a
living as a disgrace, is about to commit suicide, when he
is interrupted by a knock at the door, and by the en-
trance of Katherine (Miss Wyndham), who recalls her-
self to his remembrance as having been found by him
when a child asleep in a forest, and since educated and
reared by his grandmother, who is just dead. She
has now come, she says, to pass her life with him, her
adopted father. Bustling about in the most charming man-
ner, she soon contrives to throw an air of domestic comfort
over his rooms, and by her engaging ways induces him to
take part in some of her most menial occupations. All this
time she sermonises him on the dignity of labour, the neces-
sity of playing our part in life, &c., until he throws aside
all thought of suicide, determines to labour like a man, and
finding that the girl of whom he was enamoured is a jilt,
and has married another, he offers his hand to his " house-
hold fairy," who not only accepts him, but brings as her
dower his family estate, bequeathed to her by the relation
recently dead. Miss Wyndham played with great good
taste and discrimination, tempering her vivacity with a
sufficient touch of sentimentalism, and acting naturally
throughout ; she was very well supported by Mr. Craven,
who, somewhat nonchalant at first, warmed up with the
The
situation and showed considerable artistic capabilities.
applause at the fall of the curtain was loud andgeneral,
and the piece may be looked upon as a very well
de-
served success.
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nothing but its dulness and its length ; it is poorly acted too
by all except Miss C. Ranee,whose delightful self-sufficiency
is really quite prepossessing. The transformation scene
called forth a great deal of applause, and looked as though it
had caused a large outlay; a portion of which might have
been judiciously turned to advantage on the contumes and
masks. The harlequinade went briskly enough, principally
through the exertions of Mr. Paul Herring, one of the best
of old-fasnioned Clowns; his companion, Mr. Alfred Glan-
ville, is neat and agile ; the Harlequin, Mr. Ash, is a fair
dancer and posturer, but he should be instructed to wear
his mask constantly on his face ; and the Columbine, Miss
Fowler, and Pantaloon, Mr. Parker, are up to the average
mark.
The house was crammed to inconvenience.