THE KING'S THEATRE.—If we may trust report, the Opera is
to be powerful negations this season. We are not to have Pasta, nor Sontag, nor Zuchelli, r De Begnis ; and, though it is not so stated, we suppose we are not to have better orchestra. Laporte is said to have lost a good deal last year by his spe lation—will he gain by diminishing the attractions of the theatre ? THE CHRISTMAS Peerrommes.—We have not seen any of the pantomimes, e we learn that Drury Lane has been in every respect and by many degrees the successful. The scenery, of which we gave sonic account last week, is unrivall and the feats of the performers are more wonderful and more various than t ,of the rival establishment. The name of the pantomime is Jack in the Box, or Harlequin and the Princess in the hidden Island. A princess is concealed in an enchanted island, from her lover knight and his squire. Her attendant, Jack, blabs the secret ; and is shut up in a box for doing so, by the giant and giant- ess who had made a prisoner of the princess. These keepers are at length made drunk by the lady, and despatched by the knight. Jack, is liberated by the champion, and the party are then transformed into Harlequin, Clown, Pantaloon, and Columbine. There is besides, a Dutch-boy, whose body takes any form he pleases ; and a girl of seven years of age, whose personations of a fop and a broom girl are quite astonishing. At Covent Garden, they are not so strong in any way, and in the scenery they are sadly inferior to the other house. Their pantomime is called Cock MGM, or Vulcan and Venus. These deities have favourites among the birds, and Vulcan determines to thwart his fair consort in the union which it is deemed necessary to effect between them. Cock Robin is shot, at the sugges- tion of Vulcan ; and the Sparrow is tried for the murder. Venus interposes, and changes the Sparrow into the Clown, while a Harlequin, Pantaloon, and Columbine are furnished from the rest of the feathered tribe. The Adelphi has got up a nice little with a Spanish dwarf in it, two and twenty inches in height. Sadler's Wells, the Coburg, and the Olympic, have all put forth their strength in similar exhibitions. The town, in short, seems as happy at this moment, as pantomime can make it : and, amusing as the exhibitions to which we have alluded are, we do not feel them to be more so than some of the criticisms which they call forth. The Morn- ing Herald is particularly profound on the occasion. In censuring certain views in the Drury Lane spectacle, the critic observes—" In wishing these scenes to be suppressed, we would not be understood as finding fault with the artists' part —indeed their resembling the reality too faithfully is one reason why they ap- peared tedious ; for we do not feel much delight in seeing on the stage what We can view by ten or twenty minutes' walk." On these principles, how absurd is the conduct of those who crowd to the Colosseum for the purpose of seeing the town in which they live, or of the man who sits for his portrait, when he may be- hold his features in his glass !
PLAYERS AND MANAGERS. —Mr. Macready, when playing in Scotland lately, found himself under the necessity of hastening to town, in consequence of alarm- ing indisposition, without fulfilling some engagements which he had formed. Mr. Alexander, the manager of the Glasgow and Carlisle theatres, forthwith in- tercepted Mr. Macready's trunks, and threatened him with an action at law for breach of engagement. To those of our readers who received copies of the first impression of our last week's number, we may sta7e that Davies's case terminated on Saturday last by the Jury abruptly assuring Sir Charles Wetherell that he might spare himself the trouble of examining inure witnesses, as their opinions were formed. They im- mediately afterwards pronounced Mr. Davies competent to the management of his affairs.
On Tuesday last, Captain Ross's horses were put up by auction at Melton Itlewbray, but only two were sold. Clinker, which lately ran the steeple-chase in this county, was purchased for 350 guineas, for Lord Willoughby; and Polecat made 250 guineas, for Lord Anson. —Leicester Chronicle.
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