Cirrus@Austlit

Comprising many local allusions and operatic parodies, the pantomime begins with Circe, who is being imprisoned by the fairy Homogenia until she consents to yield control over the destiny of Australia. Circe is then transformed into Whittington's cat, heralding the start of the familiar storyline.

Concerning Akhurst's libretto, the Age reviewer writes:

'The plot we do not pretend to understand, and probably it is not at all desirable that we should. It is a bustling piece of amusement throughout ... full of incident and point, and plentifully seasoned with local hits, though we suppose the author will not fail to introduce many more as [the burlesque] runs its course' (28 December 1857, p.5).

The critic writing for Bell's Life in Victoria was similarly impressed by the production. 'The opening is very smartly written, and the episodes are well brought in', he records:

'Some of the allusions to current topics are extremely clever; and, as a matter of course, were well received by the audience. In fact, in the present temper of the Melbourne public, anything which hits Peter Davis, or the Australian mail, is sure of a round. Whittington is certainly the best pantomime yet written in Melbourne, and we anticipate for it a long run' (2 January 1858, p.2).

The Leopold family, including Fraulein Fannie, presented most of the dance specialties. These included imitations of several celebrities, notably Fanny Ellsler, Taglioni, and Lucille Grahn. Other highlights of the show were reportedly George Coppin's 'The Artful Dodge', Mr Lambert's 'My Friend from Leatherhead', and W.H. Stephens's 'Uncle John'. Mr McGowan's travesty of Donizetti's principal heroine and Mr Leslie's 'nautical and naughty man of the same period' were also roles deemed worthy of note by several reviewers.