The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-14 00:00:00

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DRURY-LANK

Mr. S. T. Smith, in additioa to his ordinary
minim of performance., ham got up • morning entertain-
ment for the delectation, chiefly, of the juvenile portico of
the public. It is composed of opera and ballet, performed
by a " Lilliputian company" of singers and dancers, " con-
°tine says Mr. *lab, "of fifty members, brought to
this country from Spain, where, and throughout the prin.
cipal capitals of Europe, this renowned company of artistes
have achieved immense sumac." Making the necessary
allowance for the Mile ampoule' of theatrical milieu it-cements,
this description enaseareelybesaid to be exaggerated. These
Lilliputian alarms awl &Deers are certainly very clever, and
we ma easily believe that they hare excited both curiosity
and interest. Their Brat performance was given yesterday at
two o'clock, and was at the usual playhomrs price.. It eon-
slated of Doeirettre opera buffs, II Campanella, followed
by a ballet called Coterina ; on, La rifle dit &pule, which
we think we have seen in the olden time at her Majesty's
Theatre. It Campanello is rather • musical farce than •
regular opera ; it is one of Donixetti's juvenile productions,
and has no place among ha standard works. The
music, however, is not without merit, beiug light
and melodious ; while the subject and incidenta,
though farcical in the extreme—surd Italia' farce is still
man farcical than ours—are certainly laughable. It was
reprimated by • set of little men and women, whose ages
ranged from eleven to fourteen, and who performed the
pare of a youthful lover and his mistress, • grotesque
apothecary, and other personages, sot only with perfect
propriety, but with much spirit and considerable humour.
Their singing, moreover, was wouderfeßy good, and some
of them displayed sot only great musical aptitude, but no
small degree of proficiency. But their voices betrayed
symptoms of over-training, and we could not but
remark that the hot-bosses matinee of cultiva-
tion was too apparent in their precocious exertions.
The Ballet was excessively long; anal in these days, when
" the poetry of motion " is so longer in its high and palmy
state, was not • little tedious. But it exhibited • great
deal of very beautiful, and some really wonderful, dancing.
Mdlle. Marianna Flori, • child of Mae years old, who per-
sorted the heroine, would excite admiration on any stage
in Europe. The theatre was well filled, and the perform-
ances were received with the warm applause which they
certainly dawned.

MZEZOPOLITAN RAILWAY.-Yesterday and during
the week some interesting experiments were made over
that portion of the Metropolitsn Railway completed, be-
twee, the junction with the Great Western at Feddiegton
and Limon-grove, with an memo constructed to consume
its own steam, over distances of raven cud eight miles. The
experiments over the limited space were considered satis-
factory. Operations have also been commenced during the
week for sinking the shafts and tuooelling the grouud on
that portion of the line which will ran undarneath the
Begoupps-wells-road, to unite with the section now con-
structing along Gualdford-place, on the north-east side ~f
the HOUND of Con-minim For this purpose Bakersireet,
Nutmeats, will have to be closed, as the tunnel will have
to be takes under the Uaioo Tavern, at the corner of that
thoroughfare, and here the dialcult work of turning the
Old Fleet Ditch will have to be accomplished.
RAILWAY MAITEHII 124 THE EAST.—It is stated
that the loscprojoetod Lysol and littostaatoo line, for
which parliamentary powers were obtained last session, is to
be commenced without further daisy. The directors of the
Loox Sutton and Lyme (which by a josistims with the Hol-
bench and I,oog Stance would plate Lyon ID independeet
eommunication with the system of the Griot Northern)
have gore over the route of the proposed line, for which
asset was obtained last rear, and efforts an being made to
miss additional capital in the district, with a view to the
ezacutice of the works.