Drury-Lane Theatre.
The Times, 1824-12-28T00:00:00

After the tragic play of 'PJ'rro; a new pantomime was last night, according to irniaem6rial custom, produced for the amusement of those happy groups whb, at this festive season, are eniancipatedt firom the tramnfels of scholasticdias. cipline. Thepan tomimne is entifledH arlequin andtheTalkin t Bird, the Singing Trees, and Golden Waters, andtis, wiiiI scme alterations, founded on a woll-known story selecte.l from the fruitful field of romance, The Arabwan Xights. The seer Zalec is desperately enamotred of the fair Parizade, wwho, treating his passion with scorn, is, as a punishment, tiansformetl into a talkina bir(l. The Genius of the Golden WVaters is,bowever, friendly to Parizade, whom she restores to her natural form; ant afterwartds, the snore efftctually to protect her against the wiles of Zalec, she inotainorphoses her into Columbine, and her lover, the Prince of Persia, be- comes the hlarlequin of the piece. The Arch-Chancellor of China is by Zalec converted into Pantaloon, anal his secre- tary takes the shape ot' Clown. Their business of course is to harass the lovers. After the usual portion of dancing, aud the accustomet quantum of kicks and cuffg have been received by the Clotwn anid Pantaloon, the lovers are united by the frienlly Genius in the 'Terrestrial Teemple of the Pe- ries. This house has, for several years past, been rather unfortunate in getting up this species of entcrtainmeot, and( the spell under which it has so long laboured in this respect certainly has not been broken by the pro- duction of last niglht. It is, unquestionably, one of the dullest and mset common-place pantomiFnes we have ever seen. The tricks and changes are, almost without excep- tion, miserably poor. They have neither novelty nor in- genuity to recommeiid them. Miith expense has been in- curred in producinrg this pantomnime; but it is quite clear that there is no person connected with Drury-lane who possesses that species of tact which is necessary for the suc- cessful production Of entertainments of this description, ant with which Farley, at the other theatre, is so emi- nently gifted. The pantomime comprises some ex-- cellent scenery by Stanfieldl andl Roberts; but not to the same extent as the pantomimes of the two preceding seasons. TIhe view of Edinburgh, by the former, is a vcry beautiful picture; antd the Enchanted Aviary, by the latter, is extremely splendid and fanciftil. The music is of the most hiimble;'not to say vulgar character. In one part of the pantomime, thle celebrated, incantation seene in Der- Frei.sch,tt is burlesqued, but with a very inconsidera- ble portion of humour. Howvell madle a respectable HTar- letiin, and Miss Barnett as Coluimbinze, thouigh a little too pursy for the part, skipped about with much vivacity. Blnchar.l's Pantaloon is very clever. He possesse3 great strength aned agility. Kirby is an active and amnusing Clown. A good dleal of disapprobation was manifested against differenlt parts of tthe piece. A rmost trampery pro- cession of glass-cutters, carrying banners and glass orna- ments, was loudly lhooteil. The great bodly of the audience, however, expressedl their general approval of the panto- mime when the curtain fell. DRURY-LANVE THEATRE.