The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-26 00:00:00

THE HISTRIONIC CLUB.

The members 01 the " Histrionic Club" presented
their patrons with a very attractive performance last
vAning at the St. James's Theatre, consisting of 7he
Printer's Devil the first three acts of Othello, and Cap-
tain Stevens. The whole of the entertainments -were
necessfuf, and the respective performers were rewarded
by the avpiause of a very elegant and crowded auditory.
Mr. Kiddie, who plays a varied round of parts, appeared
for the first time us the Moor' his porformance of which
may certainly rank amongst his most successful efforts.
He has evidently studied the character most assiduously:
many of his readings give evidence of great discern-
ment, and his delivery of the pathetic passages
was marked by the most delicate feeling. lie
had an admirable lago in Mr. B. Paltrier.
The scenes in the third act, between these two gentle-
men, were carefully and truthfully conceived, and exe•
cuted with great tact and ability. The Cassio of 'Mr.
Ogilvie was exceedingly good, and the hilarity of the
Jrunken scene well kept up. The smaller characters
were all carefully acted, and the play received every as
sistance from elegant costume, and very splendid stage
appointments. Mr. Ford sang, with much humour, "I
have lost my child." In Captain Stevens, Messrs.
Ogilvie, Peters, and Ford distinguished themselves by
their faithful representation of their respective charac-
ters, as did also Miss de Burgh. Messrs. Kiddie and
Palmer were summoned before the curtain to receive the
usual compliment. Mr. Kiddie announced that the
ourth performance of the season wit! take place On
fitursilav, February 22, whin will he presented The
Merchant of Venice, fir the purpose of introducing Miss
Burgh, a very talented young lady, in the character of
Pottle.; the evening's entertainments to conclude with
She Stoops to Conquer.

GOSPORT, FRIDAY Al ORNING.—Her I\l4jesty's
114), Espiegie. 12 gnus, has arrived. On i!er dep.irtim•
the Cape of Good Hope all was quiet in the in-

TIOT.

ARBROATII.--•,Our staple trade presents very flat-
Rppearances at .pr,stmt, and should ;hey prove
'"u"a, a rise in the wages will .ere long take place.
ilot.tler large work, v‘e hear, is about to t:e erected by
Ntesirx. Oordon, of Burnside, and some of 01.“
Atli -power taciori,s are being rWarged.
" bag since we observed such bustle at thld SeUSOU 01
the year—Dundee Courier. '

THE DRAMA AT WINDSOR.
(From the Chronicle.)

Last evening' the series of dramatic performances

at Windsor Castle was brought to a close. The
little " season," if we may so call it, has been, in
every point of view, a most sucffssful one. No hitch
whatever has occurred in any department. The
Royal party have, on each occasion, expressed unqua-
lified satisfaction with the entertainments; while—
whether the fact be in any degree owing to Court
patronage or no—we believe we may state that at no
period, for years back, have the London theatres been
so well attended as during the few weeks of the
Windsor performances.
The exertions of Mr. Charles Kean have been thus
gratifyingly repaid. He has spared no pains in render
ing the performances committed to his care complete
and artistic in every particular, and that he has suc-
ceeded seems proved by the hope generally expresed
that a similar series of performances may take place at
Windsor next winter.

Perhaps a compact statement of the pieces lately
produced may not be out of place in this concluding
notice. There were two Shaksperian dramas—The
.Merchant of Venice and Hamlet; one foreign tragic
play—The Stranger; three light comedies—Used
• Up, an adaptation of L. lionzme Blasé—The House-
keeper, by Douglas Jerrold—and Sweethearts and
Wives, by Kenney ; with two farces—Twice Killed.
an original piece by Mr. Oxenford; and Box and
Cox, a very clever adaptation, as we believe, of two
French vaudevilles, by Mr. M. Morton. These pieces
have exhibired the flower of the Haymarket, the Ly -
ceum, the Adelphi, and Olympic companies.
Tt:e two dramas ac7ed last evening were Douglas
Jerrold's comedy of The Housekeeper, and Kenney's
comedy of Sweethearts and Wives.
The Housekeeper is comparatively little known.
Like most of Mr. Jerrold's plays, it was brilliantly
successful at first, but has failed to keep possession of
the stage. It was revived, we think, at the Hay-
market, in 1841 and 1842, but cannot be called a
stuck piece.
The Housekeeper; or the While Rose—it had origi
pally a second title—was produced at the Haymarket
Theatre on the 17th of July, 1833, with triumphant
success. The comedy is a good specimen both of
the character and the fate of the majority of Mr. Jer-
rold's dramatic productions. Brilliant as it is in dia-
logue—full of caustic touches of nature and at nature
—abounding in quaint bits of character, and stuck
over, as it were, with aphorisms, full of whim and
wit, it has yet little dramatic vitality, because it has
little dramatic power: The scene is laid in London,
in the reign of the First George ; and one of the
numerous Jacobite conspiracies which signalized the
time forms the groundwork for a couple of acts full
of pungent and thoughtful wit; but undramatically
constructed, and terminated by a somewhat common-
place denouement.
The following is the " cast" as the comedy was re-
presented last night :

itiney Maynard ... Mr, Charles Kean.
Dna Purple ... Mr. A. Wigan.
Simon Box ... Mr. Buckstone.
Father Oliver . . Mr. Weiister.
Daguerre ... Mr. Boyce.
Berjamin ... Mr. Cullenford.
Laval ... Mr. 0. Smith.
Christopher Layer ... ... Mr. Worrell.
Bin (a pone-r) Mr. Munyard.
Officer ... Mr. Lindon.
... Mrs. Charles Kean.
Sophy Hawes ... Mrs. L uriaby:.

Widow Duckliug ... Mrs. W. Clifford.
The piece went off with great spirit. Mr. and
Mrs. Kean's impassioned scenes, and the comic
"hits" of Buckstone calling down continucus ap-
plaute and hearty laughter.

For the amusement of those who are curious in
such matters, we give the original cast, by which it
will be seen that three of last night's artists—Mr.
Buckstone, Mr. Webster, and Mrs. Humby—retain
their original parts. Ihe characters were allutted in
1833 as follows :

Sydney Maynard ... Mr. Vining.
Tom Purple ... Mr. Brindal.
Simon Box ... ... Mr. Buckstone.

Father Oliver ... ••• ... Mr. Webster.
Dagu,rre ~. ... ... ... Mr. Gallot.
13t..tjamin ... ... -- ... Mr. Coveney.
... ..... ... .

Layal ... ••• ••• ... Mr. W. Johnson.
Christopher Layer ••• ... Mr. Bartlett.
Bin... ..• ... ... ... Mr. J. Cooper.
(fflieer ... „„ Mr. Eaton,
Mis Taylor. Fedeia ... ... ... ...

&Thy Hawes ... ... Mrs. Hunby.
Widow Duckling... ... .., Mrs. Tit),!cure.
- -

After the Housekeeper came Mr. Kenney's comedy.
Sweethearts and Wives is ten years older than Mr.
Jerrold's play, having been performed for the first
time, at the Haymarket, on the 7th of July, 1823.
It was then called an " operatic comedy," and con
sited of three acts ; but it wa4 last night curtailed
to two. Sweethearts and Wives is well known,
having formed a regular stock-piece ever since it:,
production, and being very frequently played in
country theatres. The characters were last night
allotted as follows :
Adati,al Frat.klitt Mr. Frank Matthews.

Charles Fi unkliu ... Mr. Boyce.

Sand ford

Mr. Conway.

Billy Luckaday

... Mr. Wrighi.

Cur-cis ...

... Mr. Culfentord.

Eugenia
Laura
Mrs. Bell

Gill (lute Miss
Funny Vining).
... Miss Woolgur.
... Mrs. Frank Matthews.

Susan

... Miss Elie❑ Chaplin.

Nothinz, could have been more successful than
last night's representation. Mr. Frank Matthcws
and Mr. Wright were greeted with the heartiest
merriment and applause, while the artistic acting of
Miss Woolgar seemed to be fully appreciated.
The cast which we have given above 'dues not
include a single original representative of the play,
which was first performed by the following actors:—
Admiral Franklin ... Mr. Terry.

••• IDS. Mr. Vining.
Mr. Davis.
Mr. Liston.

Charles Franklin
Sandford .
Lac•kaday

Curtis

Mr. Williams.