Use the information below to speak about

A. The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain:

Location: the South Bank of the river Thames.

History: 1848 - the idea of a National Theatre was first suggested.

1963 – a national company actually started working.

1976 – the present South-bank building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.

Facilities: NT (National Theatre) complex comprises a) the    Oliver (named after the actor Sir Laurence Olivier) (capacity – 1.160); b) the Lyttelton (capacity 890); c) the Cottesloe (capacity 400).

Employees: 750 people to run the theatre complex; a full-time company of 120 actors.

B. World Famous Theatres:

The Bolshoy Theatre (Moscow)(stages classical ballets andoperas).

Broadway Theatres (New York) (stage famous plays and musicals. Success on Broadway is the sweetest thing that can happen to a person in show business).

Covent Garden Theatre (Royal Opera House) (London) (stages operas sung in the original languages).

The Globe Theatre (London) (offers a choice of popular plays and musicals).

The Metropolitan Opera Association (the Met) (New York) (‘I sang at the Met’ is enough to prove that a singer has gained the international status).

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (situated outside London, at Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace) (stages plays by W. Shakespeare and his contemporaries).

 

EFFECTS OF THE THEATRE. SHARING IMPRESSIONS

                                

Use a dictionary to find out the Russian equivalents for the following adjectives.

THE PERFORMANCE WAS

 

breathtaking                                        appalling

             brilliant                                                awful

             entertaining                                         boring

              exciting                                           disappointing

             hilarious                                           dreadful

              magnificent                                    dull

             marvellous                            rotten

             moving                                                 uninspiring

             thrilling                                                weak

                   

                                 THE CHARACTERS WERE

         convincing                                          predictable

              original                                 weak

              realistic                                                             

              well-developed

                                                                                                                

Work with a partner. Ask him/her what theatrical performance he/she last saw. Encourage him/her to share his/ her impressions.

        6. Make up a conversation where one of the speakers says the performance was very good while the other finds some points to criticize.

Work with a partner. Make up a conversation using the cue cards below.

CUE CARD 1	CUE CARD 2	CUE CARD 3
A friend of yours went to see the new production at the theatre. Ask him/her about: 1) the type of the play he saw; 2) the playwright; 3) the plot; 4) the cast.	You are in Moscow on a short business trip and you want to see some play. Find out about: 1) theatres which are most popular with public; 2) types of plays staged there; 3) location of the theatre you want to go to.	You are calling the theatre box-office. Find out about: 1) tickets available for tonight (Sunday, etc); 2) prices; 3) length of the play; 4) discounts.

Role-play the following situation.

Divide into groups of three. Two of you should discuss which play or musical to choose. (See advertisements below). Prove your choice talking about a) type of the play you’ve chosen to see; b) tickets; c) location of the theatre; d) length of the play; e) facilities available.

Call the theatre box-office for tickets. The third person in the group is the ticket agent.

 

Use your dictionary to find out the meaning of the abbreviations used in the advertisements.

R B.SHERIDAN The SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL – a good picture of England’s high society and a biting satire on the morals of the 18^th century! NATIONAL THEATRE. COTTESLOW (small auditorium). Tomorr., Tue., Wed., Thur. and Sat. at 2.00. Excellent cheap seats. 20 discounted tickets are available at the box-office for students and senior citizens (2 hrs. 45 min.)

 

SIR A. L. WEBBER’S JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – the highly successful musical that has warmed hearts in England and overseas! THE GLOBE THEATRE. 555-4828 Tues.-Sat. at 8.00; Wed. and Sat. 2.00 (3 hrs 15 min.) & 25- & 60; Car park. Restaurant 92820033.

 

A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING - the play by Phillip Hayes Dean about modern life and moral tensions in modern society! T H E D E N T I S T REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE Mon.-Sat. at 8.00, Wed. and Sat. at 2.00 & 30 - &50 (2 hrs)

                                

                                 PART 2