The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-10 00:00:00

Surrey Theatre.

Last evening Mr. Watts Phillips's new drama,
in five acts, entitled " Theodora, Actress and
Empress," was produced at this theatre in a style of
glittering splendour which speaks highly for the
liberality of the management of Mr. R. Sheppard.
The piece, we are informed, has been written spe-
cially for Miss Avonia Jones ; therefore she is the
brilliant star around which all the lesser planets
cluster. The scene of the drama is laid in Con-
stantinople, in the reign of the Emperor Justinian,
a circumstance which gives full scope for the most
gorgeous scenery and dresses. The plot of the
piece, briefly related, is as follows :—" The curtain
rises upon Constantinople in the sixth century, dis-
covering Miriam and her former lover Creon.
Miriam swears vengeance against her lover in con-
sequence of his having deserted her for Theodora,
who at that time was an actress in the circus,
whence she was driven for having assumed the
colour of an adverse faction, to which Creon belongs.
Having a high ambition, and being impressed with
the idea that she was to become the spouse of a potent
monarch, Theodora consents to fly with Creon as his
wife. An interval of 19 years is supposed to have
elapsed between the first and second acts, during
which time Theodora is divorced from her husband
and marries the Emperor Justinian. The second act
is laid in Carthage, and the scene is the encampment
of the Roman army beneath the walls, where Creon,
by the Empress's command, receives sentence of
banishment, but entreats his son Philip to intercede
with his mother for a remission of the sentence. In
Apt IV. Philip meets his mother in Byzantine
Palace, Constantinople ; but Theodora having been
forewarned by Miriam that Philip is an impostor
accordingly refuses to listen to him. Philip, in order
to establish his identity, seeks for certain papers
which had been confided to his care by Creon, but
through the agency of Miriam they have been ab-
stracted, and he is accordingly cast into a dungeon.
Theodora, although believing him to be an impos-
tor, and that her own son had died whilst an infant,
feels the ties of nature, and is unable to give the
order for his execution. Constantinople is subse-
quently besieged, and Creon for a short space of
time is victorious, and releases his son. Philip is
shortly afterwards wounded, and it is whilst hiding
from the troops that he is discovered by Miriam.
Theodora, arriving on the scene about the same mo-
ment, is informed by Miriam that the dying man is
her son, and producing the stolen papers, states that
her vengeance is complete, and upon a grand
tableaux the curtain here falls.

We cannot say the new drama is free from
blemishes, but they are of a description that may
easily be removed. The greatest fault is the ex-
treme length of the drama ; but, although it posi-
tively never hangs fire, yet in the form we saw it
last night it so closely approaches that great cause of

ill success that the sooner compression is effected the
better, because it cannot but increase the success
that attended its first representation. Miss Jones,
as Theodora, the Actress-Empress, has a most
effective part, which she performs with all her well-
known power and effect, whilst her dresses are of
the most gorgeous description. Miss Pauncefort
sustained the character of Miriam with great
ability, and Mr. James Bennett and Mr. Fernandez
enact the parts of Creon and Philip with care and
discretion. The applause during the performance
was enthusiastic, and none more deserved the ap-
probation conferred on their exertions than Mr.
Gates, the scene painter, who has produced some
of the most elaborate and splendid scenery ever
witnessed in any theatre in the metropolis. All
the artistes were called for at the termination of the
play, and Mr. Sheppard announced the piece for
repetition every evening until further notice amidst
universal applause.

THE SUPPOSED MURDER ON THE LONDON, CHAT-
HAM, AND DOVER liAnArAY.—Yesterday evening the
inquiry Into the death of Henry Walls, whose body was
found'on the above line of railway, was resumed by the
coroner for Westminster. The circumstances of the case
have already appeared. The police had traced the missing
coat to the possession of a labourer, who had picked it up
from under an archway some seventy yards distant from
the place where the deceased was discovered. The surgeon
stated that the injuries received by deceased were such as
might have been caused by a railway carriage passing
over his body. Inspector Williams said that every attempt
had been made to obtain additional evidence, but without
result. The jury's verdict was to the effect that there was
no evidence to show how the injuries causing death had
been produced.

MISSING SHIP.—The Entracht, of Carolinensiel,
sailed from Hartlepool on the 4th of January for Bremer-
haven, and has not yet arrived at that port.