The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-27 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

This theatre opened last night for the season, with
the Merry Wives of Windsor, and the new pantomine.
In the comedy, Mr. Bartley undertook the part of
Sir John Falstaff, and played it with intelligence,
though with none of that smooth, oily humour which
we naturally look for in the character. There was
something dry and hard in his manner, more espe-
cially in that scene wherein he relates to " Master
Brooke" his adventures in the buck-basket. Mr.
Cooper made a heavy, common-place Ford, and the
part of his sprightly wife was played with vivacity—
a little too excessive, perhaps, at times—by Mrs.
Walter Lacy. Meadows's Sir Hugh Evans was ex-
cellent, spirited, yet free from exaggeration ; and
Miss Poole, who sang one or two simple airs with
considerable sweetness and feeling, made an in-
teresting Anne Page. On the whole, however,
notwithstanding it was well cast, the comedy went
off heavily, and towards the close the impatience of
the gallery was very manifest. The new pan-
tomine, which, as the bills assure us, is the production
of the writers of Punch, is entitled Harlequin King
John and Magna Charta; it contains some clever
tricks, and some ingenious 'transformations, and
moves off lightly and rapidly. The first scene repre-
sents the ruins of the Forum in the Campo Vaccino
at Rome, wherein we find our old friends, Puck,
()heron, Titania, &c., busily engaged plotting merry
mischief. Suddenly, Punch and his partner Judy
make their appearance among the fairy group, when
a very graceful dance is got up, in which all the
assembled characters take part, and which was loudly
and deservedly applauded by the audience. The next
scene is called the " Vault of the Black Diamond—
alias the Cole Hole—in the Castle of Baron of Fitz-
waiter," where the Peers of England are met together
in solemn convocation, full of patriotic intentions, and
determined to make King John sign the charter of
their rights. This scene occasioned much laughter,
and the grievances of the insurgent Barons were de-
tailed through the medium of pithy placards, with in.
finite drollery ! The Great Hall at Windsor Castle
was the next scene ; and hers we saw King John, who
was most whimsically performed by Mr. W. H. Payne,
presiding at a grand Court banquet, with his Lord
Chancellor and his two Queens in active attendance
upon him. Mr. Payne gave some imitations of
Macready's walk and bearing in this scene, which
were instantly recognised by the audience, and were,
indeed, as clever and characteristic as it was possible
to be. Ultimately, after a variety of amusing shifts
and subterfuges, the Monarch is compelled to sign
the Magna Charts, which, true to his Royal despotic
instinct, he signs, not with ink, but with blood drawn
from the nose of one of his courtiers, whose
conk he has expressly tapped for the occasion.
After this we find the fairy train arriving
in the Royal presence by one of the rail-road
steam-engines, when Punch, who is among them, ex-
hibits himself in his full glory, and the usual panto-
mimic transformations commence. Mr. Ridgway is
Harlequin, Mrs. Ridgway, Columbine, Mr. Garden,
Pantaloon, and Mr. T. Ridgway, Clown. The piece
flagged occasionally till now, but when once the
proper business of the pantomime had been entered
upon, there was no flagging till the close of the per-
formance. There was a world of bustle, and the
changes were as rapid as they should be. Among
them, is the sudden transformation of a school, after
the old formal fashion, into the Polytechnic. Institu-
tion, which was admirably. contrived. The scenes in
Bartholomew Fair, too, were very happy, and the
quiz upon Mainzer's " singing for
in the million "
system, displayed much merry malice. But, de-
cidedly, the best incident the whole pantomime,
was die representation of the mode of getting up a
new Swindling Joint-stock Company, where a bundle
of straw, with a head borrowed from a barber's block,
was made to represent the President; the Directors
were a set of scamps picked-up hap hazard; and two
of them, who had made their fortunes by. the Com-
pany, were shown in the act of entering their car-
riage, when, by a sudden whisk of Harlequin's magic
wand, the carriage was transformed, most ap-
propriately, into a police van, which . was to
convey them as prisoners to Newgate. This was
real, hearty, well-applied satire, and deserved the
loud applause that it received. The last scene, re-
presenting 'Punch's Water-frolic, with the Lake of
Como in the distance, was of a most gorgeous and
splendid character ; but indeed the pantomime

throughout was remarkable for the variety and
splendour of its scenery and decorations ; and it is
decidedly one of the most amusing we have seen for
some years. When a few trifling curtailments have
been effected, ive think it will be very likely to have
a run. The house was full, but not crowded.