The Sun. — 1859-12-27 (London, England)

JAMES'S.  The production of two new pieces in addition to a pantomime, on Christmas Eve, proved that the zeal of the managers of this theatre is still unflagging, while the character of two out of the three novelties showed that experience has not yet taught them wisdom in selection, or art in production. Moro 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 army, should pass himself off on his return as " Garibaldi's Englishman," and that he 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 described in the bill as a "popular author," has given the merest conventional outline of plot, set in the dullest dialogue, 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 forehead 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 " Household Fairy." Tho 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 do Clifford (Mr. H. T. Craven), the last scion of an old family, has run through all his means, has sold almost the last stick of 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 entrance of Katherine (Miss IVyndham), who recalls herself to his remembrance as having been found by him when a child asleep in a forest, and since educated Band 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 manner, 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 oceupations. All this time she sermonises him on the digr!,ty of labour, the necessity of playing our part in life., kc., until he throws aside all thought of suicide, deterr:iines to labour like a man, and finding that the girl of 'whom he was enamoured is a jilt, and has married arthther, he offers his hand to his "household fairy," Wile 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 situation and showed considerable artistic capabilities. The applause at the fall of the curtain was loud and general, and the piece may be looked upon as a very well deserved success. We presume it was for the sake of the attraction of the title that the author called his patomime "Punch and Judy, or Harlequin and the Fairy of the Crystal Caves," for the story has nothing to do with the old Italian street drama, and the principal character, Punch, is dragged from his proper sphere and made the hero of duller incidents, and the speaker of duller witicisms, than have previously fallen to his lot. Tho plot of the opening is totally unconnected ; •but what we cleaned from it was, that Punch was engaged by the Queen of Something to lead her armies against King Humbug (called by everybody 'Umbug), that he accepts, overthrows the most notorious humbugs of the day, including Big Ben, the Palace Clock, the Indicators, the Great Eastern, and the Four Liverpool Merchants, dethrones the King, and causes the transformation. The opening, indeed, is remarkable for nothing but its dulness and its length ; it is poorly acted too by all except Miss C. Ranoe,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 Glanville, is neat and agile ; the Harlequin, Mr. Ash, is a fair dancer and posturer, but ho 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. Tho house was crammed to inconvenience.  SA'S The Sadler's WellsD LER company, who,