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PANTommaslwill always be popular so long as they are fowled upon i some fairy tale or nursery legend. And we have observe that they have generally been successful in proportion to the skill with v% •hich the introductory. story has been dramatized. This is the " Ch ld's Own Play." He .sees'realized, in a palpable form the 'visions which the "story-books" conjured up, and that flitted befoi.e his fancy's sight tilE the play-ground has become an • enchanted land, and the fairies have. come and beckoned him at the school-room window; or the ogre, in- the awful form of some fat farmer, has stalked up to him with a club-- like cudgel as he lay half asleep in the midst of the tall wheat dreaming . of Little Jack or Tom Thumb. The rural localities of the fairy won- ders, too, are appropriate as well as pleasant. The spacious kitchen of the farm-house or the snug cottage, is the favourite scene of the gambols of the " good people." Country superstitions and old cm- toms are a good back ground on which to exhibit the innocent marvels of the fairy-tale. The mixture of real scenes with the " gorgeous hydras. and chimeras" of fairy land, is not incongruous in its effect. The im- possibility is manifest ; the veil of the fiction is transparent; but the deception is an honest one, and the moral invariably wholesome. The fairies are most just in their retributive dealings. The very excess and extravagance of the incidents and personages are recommendatory qua- lities. These anomalies should be made as glaring as possible, yet consistent with themselves. We like the Brobdingnagian size of the- implements and animals introduced into the pantomime. Children should be cheated with their eyes open. If their senses are to cun- ningly imposed upon, they are too much perplexed between the seeming truth and improbability to enjoy themselves. The reality of some of the scenes introduced, not only enhances the effect of the fanciful ones by contrast, but gives a humour and interest to the story.. The region of pure invention has too etherial an atmosphere for children to breathe freely in. This part of the pantomime, however, is not only welcome to the urchin throng whose merry holyday faces are seen studding the boxes, and making happy mammas look like madonnas encircled by cherubim. Grave papas and uncles, and dignified elder brothers and sisters, find a pleasure "secret, sweet, and precious," in abandoning the prudery of common sense, and giving in to the glorious triumph of unreason over the dingy and dull realities of matter- of-fact existence. It only needs to connect the transformations with the story, and to render the bar- lcquinade a real chace ; contriving the escapes and surprises so that every incident shall be accounted -for, and further the progress of the pursuit, until it terminates in the triumph of the victorious party in the last grand scene. As it is now, the tricks and tumbles are all gra- tuitous.
Nothing can be better than the introductory part of the Covent Garden pantomime, which tells the story of Puss in Boots very faith- fully in the main, with the needful addition only of a fairy agency to bring about the most marvellous incidents. Little Miss POOLE, as the Miller's Son, is in her element: she is a proper Prince Prettyman —a capital hero of a nursery tale. A young debutant, Master WIL- LIAM MircarNsoll, was very lively and feline as Puss in Boots, and seemed to enter into the spirit of the fun—a rare and excellent quality in an imp of mischief. Mr. PAYNE, as the Ogre, was most portentous in his stride; and the exuberance of his action was in excellent keeping with the extravagance of his part. His dress was capital : his horrent hair streamed like a fiery.- meteor; and the physiognomy of his mask was terrifically ugly. He is a genius in pantomime. The scenery, by Messrs. GRIEVE and PUGIN (son of the late architect), was charac- teristic, and most magnificent; and the moving diorama of the trip to Antwerp was very effective. The tricks and changes were ingenious, but not very novel. There was a hit at the Protocolling with the Dutch; and LAPORTE returned YATES'S compliment, giving by proxy a successful imitation of YATES and of JOHN REEVE'S Cupid. It is bad taste, however, for managers to make the stage a medium for ban- dying personalities. We have not had time to see any of the other pantomimes. That at Drury Lane is described as owing its chief attraction to STAN-. FIELD'S scenery. The critic of a Morning Paper describes the view of the Falls of Niagara as being spoiled by the introduction of real water; and the Manager replies, that there is no real water introduced! The introductory part of this pantomime is spoken of as being too astronomical, and not correct withal. There is a posture-master also, who is described as performing wonders in the art of dislocation. Both pantomimes include two clowns; which is one too many.
The Adelphi, and the other Minors, have each their pantomimes ; which seem to have been generally successful. The Surry, Coburg, and City Theatre opened at half-price; and the audiences consequently were more numerous than select.
VESTRIS, instead of pantomime, gives her audience a lively and ele- gant Mythological burlesque, after the manner of Olympic Bevels and Olympic Devils, of the story of Venus and Adonis ; which is got up in true classical taste, and with a splendour and correctness unequalled. The Graces and the Muses are charmingly personated by the Olympia beauties ; VESTRIS, their Queen, being of course the Venus. Adonis is not the handsome youth of the classic tale, but a rough boar-hunter; and is represented in good bluff style by BLAND. The dialogue is clever and pleasant, and has some capital puns. The ad libitum versi- fication, the parodies of popular songs, and adaptations of favourite airs, are in general felicitous, and always amusing. The opening scene of "the Paphian Bower" is a poetical piece of nature. Then there is a most graceful tableau from an antique bas-relief, formed by the Muses and the Graces : the effect is admirable. Altogether, this is a most delightful entertainment—beautiful, tasteful,-and intellectual, as well as laughable.
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