THEATRE ROYAL ST. STEPHENS. (From the "Britannia," August 9]

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 603, 24 January 1852, Page 3

THEATRE ROYAL ST. STEPHENS. (From the " Britannia," August 9 ]

A grand pantomimo has lately 1 on acting at tins theatre, and if roars of laughter at the absurdities of the principal performers he tbe test of merit, we must accord great success to thin piece. The principal characteis were Harlequin by Russell, Clown by Wood, and Pantaloon byGiey. Wood makes an excellent Clown. Into his capacious pockets he crams everything he can lay hands on, and the barefaced I manner in which he robs the public, light and left, is i highly diverting from its consummate impudence, In I tho earlier scenes he introduced a baby, wLich he christened little " Surplus." The unfoitunato bantling of which the Clown appeared to be very proud, was immediately seized upon in all diiections, and in the midst of the scuftte disappeared in so mysterious a manner that the spectatois are left m doubt whether there ever was such a baby at all, or whether it was torn to pieces and swallowed. Tho Clown pei formed various other startling tucks; amongst otbeis, awallowing with apparent gmio a mass of mahogany dust, horses liver, ground beans, &c, and smacking his lips \ with a roguish chuckle, as he cued " Capital cofleo for tho million." Russell _ displayed his usual agility as Hailequin. ' The ingenious manner in which he " tui nod-about and ' wheeled-about," was worthy of Jim Crow himself, aud tho dexterity with which he made ignommous escapes from his enemies, through ludictously small tiap-doors and loop-holes, was highly applauded by his admneis. | One of the grand scenes in tbe pantomime is whsie a stout man in a red hat appears on the stage with hostile intentions to the pantomunisls. ILulequin, Clown, and j Pantaloon attack him with a little cane or mod, wbeieit ! the man in the red hat lau»hs dei lively and defiantly. Two black-robed gentry (well played by Tbe^er and Walpole) rush to the rescue, wize the Ilailequm's wand and change the miseiable little reed into a lod-hot poker, which singes the stout man's logs, and he and his hat " bolt" in tho most undignified manner, to the great delight of all beholders. The pantaloon was acted by Grey with his conventional feebleness and senility. The only thing remarkable about him was the unhappy knack ho appeared to have caught of getting into duty water. If is love for tins foul fluid seemed to bo unconquerable, and occasioned gieat shouts of " dirty fellow" fiom the audience. A little contretemps occuired towaids the conclusion of the piece, by a hook-nosed individual rushing on the stage and insisting on taking part in the action, without being property a member oi the company. Then} weic loud ciies of "turn him out" and the hooknosed inliudt-i was intruder was at length ejected by foicc ; not, however, without having caused grout annoyance to the audience, who considered such interruption veiy uu- ] beemly and disgraceful. We were not sorry when the Good J'.my, whose ' manner of delivering the concluding speech might seive as a model of elocution to theim of (hi- couip'-iiy, appeared on the scene, and told tl c b'lih iiia ilm t<ieu ; " labourt." weie over. Most oi i'le-vms , u ;'it na-r > beeu advantageously cui tailed, ani, i' j-m '3».j ' ,;.'-,,.<. :

the pieco would hnvo bepn suitable enough (o thp iJuney nml Victoria, \.*g scaicely think it ou»bt to bavo been pioduced at so rospecdiblc a tbeatie as St. Stcpbens, wlucb possesses so much available tolent ol .1 (>t lugbei class tbpn rbc low tricks anc' ludicrous tiii.isfojniationa ol Messis. llussell, Wco ; and Grey.