Punch (94.1888)

January 7, 1888.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

5

LANE AND GARDEN.

" Arma virumque cano," must be the motto of Augustus
Druriolanus for this year's pantomime. Many an armour scene
have we gazed on before, but never such a display as this. C'est
magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la Pantomime. I am not sorry to notice

Augustus " in propria Puss-owner."

that Druriolanus does not go in for a Grand Transformation Scene.
Madame Katti Lanner's Fairies, some flowers, and a barque, or
rather a pleasure-boat, in the distance, manned by children, is as
much as he gives us, and quite enough after the surfeit of gorgeosity
which the audience have had in the dozen or more foregoing scenes.
Messrs. Herbert Campbell and Harry Nicholls are very droll
as King and Queen, and though the '' Old Gentleman and his
Donkey," by the Brothers Griffiths, may be a bit played out for
the seniors, yet the children, for whose delectation Pantomime is
primarily intended, will be delighted with the inimitable jackass.

The two Brothers of Jocelyn Marquis of Carabas will afford the
youthful playgoer much amusement, and Jocelyn himself, imper-
sonated by Miss "Wadhan,—whom, of course Uncle Toby will take
his nephews and nieces and all the little Shandean family to see, in
tender memory of the Widow Wadman—looks handsome, and plays
and sings charmingly. Master Lauri,_ the undefeated illustrator of
Darwinesque theories, is this year an agile cat instead of an acrobatic
monkey. To quote the Pote, to the tune of " Annie Laurie,"—

At funny little Lauri

"We laugh until we cry.

The Silver "Wedding ballet is to my thinking, the prettiest effect in
the Pantomime, if not the prettiest thing seen for some years, even
on the stage of Drury Lane. Like all modern Pantomimes, it requires
condensation, for it begins too early and ends too late, so that our
old friend Mr. Harry Payne the Clown must be tired of waiting to
come on, and his young friends have to be hurried off beforehe appears,
or are too fatigued to enjoy the real humours of the Harlequinade.
Miss Letti Lind, as the_ Princess Siveetarte, reminded me of
Miss Constance Gilchrist in " the palmy days" of burlesque at the
Gaiety—they are the leggy days now, and, according to newspaper
reports, even the Gallerians and the Pittites demanded " something
new" of their old favourites—but this by the way,—and also, in
some of her dances, of Miss Kate Vaughan " as she used to was,"
when she Kater'd for the public at Christmas time and exemplified the
poetry of motion. Druriolanus is to be congratulated as usual, but I
am sure Mr. Punch will strongly urge him to institute a new departure
next Christmas, and, with one good spectacular scene, which should
not anticipate the glories of the Transformation, and one specially
"pretty" scene, let him give us lots of frolic, comic business, and
real pantomime fun, all to be over by eleven, and at ten let the
Harlequinade commence. Such a Pantomime would come, to quote
the poet, "like a boon and a blessing to men." I must not forget
to mention the pantomime heads and hands at Drury Lane, which
are works of genuine Comic Art.

In the Garden.—-If it be a difficult matter to decide which is the
better of the two Pantomimes, The Lane or The Garden, the latter
can at least claim Conquest, who is the best Giant I've seen for a
long time. There are plenty of good things in Jack and the Bean-
stalk, from Jack, Miss Fanny Leslie, who is full of beans, down to
the little boys, the Noazettes (odd name, sounds like that of a bank-
rupt family, "No assets") who perform really wonderfully on
miniature bicycles. The drilling scene of youthful soldiers—all
"Sons of Mars," of course, as you can tell by their "pas"—will

delight the children, as will also the very pretty mixed costume
ballet and horseshoe music of the clever Village Blacksmith's family,
which last entertainment deserved its triple encore.

In the Butterfly Ballet at the Grasshoppers' Feast, the dancing of
Signora Sozo is anything but so-so, while "Fun on the Quiet" by
Messrs. Grieein and Ardeix, attired as negro cooks—each a study in
black and white—is a most original performance, with real humour
in it. They do wonderful acrobatic feats with tables and chairs, but
always as if in the Giant's absence they were "snatching a fearful
joy," but a joy_which knows no bounds, as is shown by their mar-
vellous acrobatic feats—and were afraid of making such a noise as
might wake the Monster, who would return and spoil their sport, as
his black looks would soon put even these two niggers out of coun-
tenance. Mr. Frank Hall as Old King Cole with some sparks of
fun in him, gets most of it, however, out of his make-up which
bears an absurd but striking resemblance to the well known features
of a certain noble Lord, not altogether unknown in the yachting and
theatrical world. Messrs. "Wood and "Wilkinson make two very comic
old women, and there are plenty of brisk tunes, singing, and. dancing.
I must not forget the "Change Artiste, M. Casoabel," whose meta-
morphoses will delight Mr. Barlow's young friends more than those
of Ovid. His " Sara B.," however, is a mistake.

Some of the scenes are charmingly painted, some by Callcott,
some of the rustic sort by Banes—" Mossy Banks." Perhaps the
best Landscape is the Exterior of Castle Terror, which is a work of
Hart.

Mr. Bruce Smith's Transformation Scene, might be effective with-
out the Moderator Lamps and coloured shades; as it is, it can only
be spoken of as moderately successful. In the Harlequinade, which
begins about a quarter to eleven, there are four scenes, a double supply
of Clowns, Columbines, and a pair of Pantaloons, Quite a surfeit of

I 'J vu n

Time ! Jack before the Conquest.

Pantomimists with one Harlequin. I don't think little Sandy,
though advertised in the bill, was one of the Clowns, but there were
a pair of Pantaloons, though only one was mentioned in the bill.
Which is the better ? "Which takes the Twelfth Cake f
But their merits who can measure—

Covent Garden ? Drury Lane ?
If in one you may find pleasure,
In the other you '11 find Payne.

The verdict must be pronounced by the Children who will be taken
to see both. So Girls and Boys come out to the play, the moon it
shines as bright as day; and so, wishing a happy holiday-time to all
of my young friends, I am Yours seasonably,

_^^^^ arty Laefer.

Fair Trader.
" I'll give you a wrinkle," says Time,

To Professional Beauty, now fading.
She replies, " I have got one, for I'm

Shopkeepering—call it Fair-Trading."

Many of the Foreign Journalists should be dear to the heart of
General Salvationist Booth, as they contribute to keep up The
War Cry.

by a true blue.
True Toryism's nature hid P I 'Tis, on the Commonweal a, skid,
I '11 furnish a solution: Preventing Revolution.