TOPICS OF THE DAY (From Our London Correspondent.) LONDON, January 3. CHRISTMAS PLAYS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7395, 22 February 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

TOPICS OF THE DAY (From Our London Correspondent.) LONDON, January 3. CHRISTMAS PLAYS.

Pantomime is, we learn from Mi Broadbent's history of that entertainment, the imitation of Nature, derived from Pan, the god tof nature, and Mimos, an imitator. Just 200 years ago, in 1702, pantomime was introduced into England by John Weaver, a dancing master at Oxford, who produced at Drury Lane the "Tavern Bilkers," an entertainment of "dancing, action, and motion." Drury Lane is still the home of "panto," but the performance neither there nor at any of the other 119 places where panto, is played can be said to "hold the mirror up to nature." The idea that pantomime is an entertainment for children is quite exploded. There is still plenty of "dancing and motion," but precious little "action," and music-hall turns, comic banalities, and a superfluity of gorgeous pageants smother the nursery tale (which the pantomime professes to unfold) whenever it struggles to raise its head. But if the children are bored by the "show," the grown-ups of this generation revel in it, and music-hall artists receive generous sums for a lavish display Jof vulgarity and shapely limbs. Then the manager is said to have out-Smithed Smith, or out-Browned Brown, and\ the public flock to the spectacular triumph. The title of a pantomime is really of little importance, but it may interest the curious to know Ihat the most popular theme this season is the "Babes in the Wood," which has ibeen chosen 15 times, Aladdin and Cinderella tie for second place with 14 each, and Dick Whittington and Robinson Crusoe are equal for fourth place with eleven each. For the last ten years the first four subjects have always been the favourites.