thtatrts anit 311,uotr.
The feverish desire for something new, constantly kept alive by cease- less platitudes in every department of theatrical action, no doubt gave rise to the notion of opening a theatre at the Adelaide Gallery for per- formances by puppets. Tragedy worn out—comedy worn out—panto- mime and burlesque very much worn out—farce nearly worn out—au- thors tired out, or written down to the dregs—good actors dying off and leaving fearful gaps—what remains to be done ? At any rate, puppets can be tried. They have not seen service for a quarter of a century; history proves that they worked well in their day, and travellers tell strange stories of their popularity on the Continent. Those who are tired of seeing human beings, with a small amount of intellect, move about by known anatomical means, may be amused at the sight of figures, with no intellect at all, moving by mechanical means less generally known. Even if the puppet, suspended as he is from the top of the stage, occasionally dangles in the air when he ought to plant his foot firmly on the floor, his blunder is at least a blunder of a new school, and provokes laughter rather than indignation. If puppets are to succeed at all, they certainly ought to succeed at the Adelaide Gallery. A most elegant theatre has been erected for them ; their costumes are not only appropriate but recherches ; and though the string to which they are attached is somewhat too visible, the illusion is otherwise well kept up by the accommodation of voice to action. The ballet, notwithstanding the beauty of the scenery, is the least successful part of the performance, precisely because there is no voice as a living in- terpreter to the gestures. The construction and management of puppets, -with immoveable faces, has not yet reached that perfection that they can represent human emotions by mere dumb-show ; but when the voice of an invisible speaker accompanies their movements, imagination may sup- ply the gap. What will be the ultimate fate of these puppets, supposing that they succeed ? Will their success be merely that of novelty, so that they will be neglected as soon as the novelty has worn off? Or is there any chance of a permanent Marionette theatre being established here as on the Con- tinent? At present, the spoken drama of the establishment is confined to Bombaetee Furies°, and a remarkably neat introduction written in rhyme ; but there are some who imagine that the puppets, being beyond the Chamberlain's reach, may be turned to account in the representation of dramas abounding more in political allusion than is permitted on the ordinary stage; and that consequently the creation of a new class of dra- matio literature is on the tapis. Time will show !
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