The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-27 00:00:00

THE PANTOMIMES, ETC.

IMURY-LANE THEATRE.
bkfter the performance of Balfe's opera of the
augider of St. Mark, which was played here la t
4
'gilt for the twenty-third time, the new Christmas
pantomime of Harlequin and Robinson Crusoe was
rceught forth. The audience was less noisy than
Dual, and waited with most exemplary patience for
14 rising of the curtain that was to give them a view
Itheir old friends Robinson Crusoe and his man
„,„1.14137. The pantomime opened in a very promising
manner, with a sketch of a distressed author who was
;killit of a subject for his usual Christmas enter-
ttr:rn ent. In this exigence the fairy Puck comes
it'll's assistance, and giving him his choice of a sub-
-I,llt, be selects the favourite tale of Robinson Crusoe.
Le first scene represents Crusoe wrecked on the
.07ert island, and carrying out his cargo from the
0 31. which lies high and dry on the shore. Some
?tigliter was excited by the acting of Mr. H.
lYne (Crusoe) in this scene, who displayed
k ileb broad pantomimic humour. We next find him
it
ueing himself to a party of Caribee Indians,
a'9l some of whom he dances the Polka in a very
rt, 'Anasical style. His man Friday (Wieland) now
L.
kLiees Las appearance on the stage, and a very laugh-
the Scene takes place between him and his master in
tatter's house, tg built with his own hands," when
teaches his servant how to cook a leg of mutton
nsb°ll a pudding. While they are seated at supper
14.'1 a party of young Caribs, other Indians rush
ir4 the, scene changes to the old wreck, and Crusoe
tykediately afterwards is seen taking his departure
Th, the " Waterman " steamer for London-bridge.
ti. usual transformations now take place :—The
tilt...bee king is changed into the Clown (T. Mat-
-11,41), his club-bearer into Pantaloon (Howell),
''.,sti,.ceParamatta into Harlequin( Wieland), while Miss
4,41 comes forward as Columbine. The first scene
k`ge Pantomimic transformations is the exterior of a
Bing on
wherein the Clown and Pantaloon, while
eing on the violincello and bassoon, are suddenly
7 lip into the air, and let drop again on their
~le .stools—an ingenious trick, which was much
Mended. The exterior of the Insolvent Debtors'
t);4", which changing to the baths and wash-house
tttthe labouring classes, was a very bustling affair,
Was sadly deficient in point, except in the solitary
irttlatee when the warm-water baths were changed
boiling-water baths by the maladroit pumping
4the Clown, and the bathers come out parboiled.
° trick of Harlequin in the bag with his head cut
fr.krhs also an ingeniously managed device ; but we
kr °lll' praise of the pantomime must close with this
, the concluding scenes were exceedingly heavy,
ill' Were scarcely redeemed by the humorous manner
the Clown sang the old song of " Hot Cod-
-14, gt" The last scene of her Majesty's christening
to Royal Exchange was, comparatively speaking,
r'.°.hd indeed the whole pantomime went off heavily,
41,4 is not remarkable for splendid scenery, neither
'at all recommended by humour or ingenuity.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.
114,'Iis theatre opened last night for a brief season
'44'l' the management of Mr.sLaurent. Its stage
itit been devoted to so many purposes foreign to the
Ittel4, that it was pleasing to find its curtain rising
niore for an English play, even though it was
fat standing dish for a Christmas audience, George
tif"lwell. It require some time to test the policy
,"ticed prices, but their effect, joined to the holi-
lirelsking spirit of the season, was seen last night
14,1°4° of the most numerous audiences ever assem-
hp,' there. The house was literally crammed in
No,
Part. The great attraction of the night was, of
ti", the pantomime, which is the production of Mr.
r.0?...3°°. Lee, entitled Harlequin Crotchet and Quaver,
ope-44tir for the Million. The generality of pantomimes
with a burlesque of some well-known story, the
11:4te Of which are readily seized by the audience,
R t;, elle) however, is an exception to the rule, and,
gar, not a happy one, and as the audience seemed
404ined not to listen to the opening dialogue, the
Iltenes could hardly be understood. The first
` the Hall of Discord, a grotesque scene, that
NIA ilave been imagined by Phiz himself; the body-
e4cl the Demon is a band of brass instruments,
the ol~ivith emotion as well as sound ; to these, as
(IN: Play-books say, the Demon rises in a gigantic
from which he emerges, and, after lamenting
Progress of music, he summons Sharp, Flat, and
,dtural, three of the ordinary masked spirits of Pan-
(°Siitne to aid him in spreading discord, he having
lkillittady gained them over from the cause of Apollo and
tttekdy—the last the good genius of the plot.
le also engages them to carry off Young Crotchet,
ofe° is in love with Miss Semiquaver, the daughter
Demisemiquaver. Apollo sends Mercury to chal-
tile the Demon to a trial of skill, a pantomime, and
4/ka elle succeeds in which Mercury commands the
tlf Melody for his master in the coming contest,
ere is some pretty music in this scene, and the
}togiven by. Miss Lyons as Melody was encored,
e cottage of Demisemiquaver is then shown—a
11 43e, which is an entire musical composition, for it
tc,:%, red by music books, with trumpets doing duty
tzlitnnies, and the front covered with notes. The
i4trotlon offers old Demisemi to change all these notes
gold if he will give him his daughter. He con-
ta.
tr
arnd the transformation takes place, in a very
ge
tti lye manner, every dot being turned to a sove-
te' The Demon's band have previously carried
the lovers to the " Cottage on the Cleff,''
tli,hlekh is then exhibited, and here Apollo effects
th:°ange of all the characters into the comic person-
the ' Who have to caper and cuff and frolic through
th test of the pantomime. A novelty in this one is
ti feetL of there being two harlequins and two colum-
t,C . The Clown was Mr. C. Marsh, and the Pan-
keys 00 Mr. T. Blanchard; the duplicate harlequins
Cp Smithers and Frampton ; the brace of b, ars.
bil:rnbines Misses Massall and Ryalls. The comic
tl.44;ess includes hits at most of the topics of the day ;
1R hest of them was a Lord Mayor's procession,
k;4 the u man in brass," and placards hinting at
lksi:i.tiOh settlements,"- &c., which produced roars of
leCter, and the washing-houses of the people, with a
t 4 "I.(' on bathing, the Clown including a dissertation
tt.°4l3, The gaming-houses, photography, union die-
cheap tailors, and miraculous pills, all furnish rnish1111;11' quota of fun. The last scene, presenting an exterior,
pttilit changes into a clockmaker's shop, with all the
It% t'llinnis moving, and clock-dials walking about the
was capitally managed, and told exceedingly
k, It, concludes, of course, with a gorgeous
hpleY scene,- the curtain falling upon a " blaze of
Of
Lrio 4(tour, which we hope will be converted into one
thph.„

HAYMARKET THEATRE.
tobtthe season of Christmas, amongst its various
the yea of amusement, is especially prolific in the
41,4ti0a1, and nowhere is public expectation more
°I being gratified, than at the Haymarket. The
t'f lure, on the present occasion, could not have
it Lll selected with more judgment, or have afforded
11,°,limer treat to the audience. It was no drawback
c%:l the evening's entertainment that the favourite
rio:43' of Old Heads and lowly Hearts, which has
tatheen performed upwards of thirty times, and is
Increasing than declining in popularity, was
titl,,()Sperl 116 the introductory piece of the night. The
firs 4;44 of this admirable play was established from the
41- It is, in fact, exceedingly well adapted for
rk,
gctig into action the whole strength of the Hay-
t Corps. Where., all the acting was beyond
I~l,e must not make selections, but it is almost
ti.:„°s
''e'ible to avoid saying that Farren and Buck-
olceeded themselves, and elicited repeated bursts
Ily fainter and applause. The comedy was susceeded
4- new " Grand Moving Diorama, or Pictorial
P 14,,, 414 Switzerland." Of the artistical skill dis-
4ihj: ill the preparation of this diorama it is impos-
Drell speak too highly. The views successively
lakee4ted to the spectators included the town and
shat: Zurich, the town of Wellenburg, the snowy
t,11,: 17°F the Alps, Tell's chapel en the Lake of Uri,
aglie,rile of Hasli and snowy peaks of the Great
44ri:ecks interior of the dungeon of Chillon—a spot
tyr-11114d with an intense interest by the genius of
in the beautiful poem commencing with the
_
Chillon's dungeons, deep and old,
TLis-kbere are seven columns, massive and gray."
t exhibition is the production of Mr. P.
l'oputal:f,.' 1114 Cannot but add greatly to his previous
of ti3i*E". This, however, was not the grand feature
.4 aewtlightv my more than the opening comedy.
gallw►llll4
they
grand musical fairy extrava-
-490; u3' the author of The Fair One with the Golden
and many other pieces of a similar