The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-29 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN.

The White Cat is the title of the Easter piece at this
theatre. It is denominated in the bills a grand, romantic
fairy extravaganza, and it fully answers its title. It is
one of those witty, sparkling. burlesques that no one but
Planche can write, and it is one of the very best he has
ever written. The scenery is by the Grieves, and the
mechanical changes and decorations by Bradwell. All,
therefore, that the most splendid scenery, refined by the
most delicate taste could do, has been done for
this piece, and the most brilliant success has
been the consequence. The old nursery tale of the
." White Cat" has been closely followed. Mr. J. Bland
was Wunsuponatyme, the King of Neiermindsitnanda,
and he was every inch a king—a monarch of the olden
time, when . Parliaments were as little known as steam-
engines ; and when Ministers, provided they studied the
will of the sovereign, had small cause to care for the
will of the sovereign people, and when resignation, to
please the nation, was undreamt of. Those were hal-
cyon days for officials.
" No Prime Minister had then to trudge it,
Because the people did not like his budget."
And accordingly we find that, so long as Wuns-
uponatyme continued king, so long did Count
Coincide continue minister. The King has three
sons, Prince Paragon (MadameVestris), Prince Precious
(Miss Murray) and Prince Placid (Miss Lee), and in
order to avoid the evils of a disputed succession, his
Majesty declares dogmatically that he will resign his
throne to that son who shall within a twelvemonth
procure a dog small enough to crawl through a thunds-
ring. The Princes concur in a dogged determination-to
hunt out this rarity, and set forth immediately for that
purpose. Prince Paragon being attended by Jingo (Har-
ley), the Court fool. Paragon and Jingo arrive at the
enchanted castle of the White Cat, and never was there
such a show of hands as that with which they are greeted
on their arrival. These, however, have no bo:lies at-
tached, nevertheless one most delicate pair so captivates
Jingo, that he falls violentlrift-tore, declares himself a
suitor, is accepted, and, as he himself expresses it,
kisses hands upon his promotion. The Prince is received
by the White Cat in the illuminated saloon of the castle, the
magnificence of which beggars description, and surpasses
everything of the sort: we ever sisv. The brilliancy of
the illumination is dazzling.; the saloon is radiant with
light ; cats are fond of lights, as Prince Paragon shrewdly
observes ; while at supper the cat and the fiddle takes his
station in the orchestra, he is joined by other instru-
mental performers, and the Prince is entertained by a
concert Mew-sard. This is succeeded by a dance, in
the course of which a Moorish pas de deux, by ?Mr.
Gilbert and Miss Ballin, was loudly and deservedly ap
plauded. The white cat eat-ers for all his wants, and
provides him with a dog enclosed in an acorn, with
which he returns to hiS father categorically
demanding the reward of his labours. The king how-
ever, eatecletically alleges that he had fixed no time
for the performance of his promise, and refuses to abdi-
cate until the prince shall marry a wife who shall be
of royal blood, " a Divine perfection of a wo-
man." and one who moreover shall not have
been seen by man for five years. The Prince
again has reeeurie to his white cat, who, with
a virtue worthy the daughter of Cat-o, directs the
Prince to cut off her head and her tail and throw them
into the fire as the only means of procuring the wife re-
quired. The Prince at first remonstrates against ,
thus destoying her ends to attain his own, but at
length gives way, and having cut off " the very head
and front of her offending," and cut short her tail and
her enchantment at the same time, she appears no
1 inger the enchanted, but the enchanting princess.
who is to share with Prince Paragon his throne and his
dominions. To this arrangement the old king is but too
happy to consent, seeing that it absolves him from the
necessity of abdicating. Thus
"Finis coronat, 0 Puss !"
and so is brought about the catastrophe. Planche
has' been most happy in the dialogue, a rapid suc-
cession of puns of every description, of good hu-
moured hits at the follies `of the day and of the
most outre rhymes kept the audience in a constant
roar, while the magnificence of the scenery and the
gorgeous splendour of the dresses and decorations
exceeded everything heretofore produced, even at Co-
vent Garden. There were several excellent parodies
sung by Madame Vestris, Harley, and Bland. Madame
generally favours the gods at this season by singing one
of their favourite airs, with new words. 'The one thus
honoured on the present occasion was, " All round
my hat," and most delightfully did she sing it,
her fine rich contra alto tones producing the most ex-
quisite effects The applause with which she was greeted
when she made her appearance after the fall of the cur-
tain was enthusiastic in the extreme. The White Cut
will draw crowded houses to the end of the season. It
is decidedly the best. of the sort that has been produced
for years. The house was crowded.