The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-23 00:00:00

STRAND THEATRE.

With a view towards increasing the funds of the
Industrial Committee for the Exhibition of 1851, the
members of the Printers' Dramatic Society, on
Saturday evening, gave a performance (under distin-
guished patronage) at this pretty little theatre, on
which occasion Sheridan Knowles' play of the Hunch-
back, Morton's capital farce of the Eton Boy, and
Sketches in India, were the pieces selected. It is a
curious fact, yet not the less true, that in amateur
performances the ladies are better "up" in their parts,
and more au fait at the stage business than the gentle-
men. This was the case on Saturday evening ; not
that we mean to imply that all the gentlemen were
imperfect, but there were blemishes on their part,
which, with a little attention, might have been
avoided. A few of the gentlemen during the play
were guilty to an unpardonable extent of " gagging,"
to use the professional term ; this, however good, in
nine cases out of ten, spoils the plot of the play, con-
fuses the other performers, and utterly destroys the
beauty of many of the succeeding passages. Nothing,
in our opinion, can improve the beauty of the lan-
guage in the Hunchback, yet improvement was often
attempted on Saturday night. We throw out the
hint not in unkindness, but for the guidance
of the members of the Printers' Dramatic So-
ciety for the future. Of the performance
of the Hunchback speak we first. Miss Moss, who
sustained the part of Julia, acted with discrimination
and effect—her reading was excellent; and Miss
Williams, as Helen, also acquitted herself exceedingly
well. The part of Master Walter was given by Mr.
Bustin rather too boisterously to suit our taste, but
withal it was respectable. The two best acted cha-
racters in the play were Modus (Mr. Hartwell) and
Lord Tinsell (Mr. Thomas). Mr. Dorrington fairly
sustained Sir Thomas Clifford, but had a little more
spirit been infused into it, it would greatly have im-
proved it. In the Eton Boy Mr. Christian made a
very poor Dabster, in fact he was quite " cast out.
Mr. Harriott made a very good Colonel Curry. In
Sketches in India the part of Tommy Tape was ca-
pitally acted by Mr. Bennett; this gentleman ac-
quitted himself with all the tact and composure of an
old stager. With the performances of the profes-
sional ladies we were very much pleased. Miss J.
Coleman made a capital Tom (in the Eton Boy) ; she
rattled through the part with all the fun and spirit of
a true Etonian ; her " make-up " was excellent—in-
deed she looked quite a Tom. In Sketches in India
she appeared as the tragic heroine, Sally, and fully
kept up the fame of the school (the Lyceum) in
which she has studied. Mrs. C. Wharton made the
liveliest of chambermaid's, and Mrs. Parker the
stateliest of Lady Scraggs's. The house was crowded
in every, part ; at one time of the evening standing
room was at a premium.

We are authorised to state that it is the intention
of the owners of the British and North American royal mail
steam-ships to commence a line of screw steam-ships, of
great size and power, for the conveyance of goods and pas-
sengers to and from New York and Liverpool, independently
of the splendid ships now employed under contract with her
Majesty's Government fur the conveyance of the mails.—
Liverpeil

DIRECT EXETER, PLYMOUTH, AND DEVONPORT
RAILWAY.—The expenses connected with the winding-up of
this company's affairs have already exceeded the amount of
the debts to be paid off.