English theatres

Talking of theatres and plays, London must be the world’s capital of drama and shows. We might say that British drama is concentrated in the capital. Around the West End there are about forty theatres, many of which have a fascinating history.

Some of the London playhouses are not run as commercial concerns, but function through grants provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain, which has also helped the building of the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park for the summer performances of Shakespeare’s plays. One of the most popular theatres outside London is also connected with Shakespeare, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre of Stradford-on-Avon where only Shakespearean plays are performed.

Not all theatres put on traditional plays, some also provide variety shows, ‘revues’, ‘avant-garde’ productions and ‘underground’ or ‘fringe’ forms of entertainment.

One of the theatres which produced ‘avant-garde’ drama has become famous for staging the plays of great modern playwrights such as Osborne, Wesker, Beckett and Pinter; its name is the Royal Court Theatre, in Sloane Square. Before coming to London, a play may be staged, for short periods, in provincial theatres. Then if a play or a musical, has been successful, it may transfer to one of the largest playhouses on Broadway.

Concerts are also very popular in Britain and London has several concert halls the most famous of them being the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.

The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Coliseum, Sadler’s Wels and also the Royal Festival Hall give performances of opera and Ballet all the year round.

For modern music, concerts are held regular at Hammersmith, Odeon, King’s Cross Cinema, and even at Wembley Stadium.

The provincial theatres are served by productions touring either before or after London presentation. At one time the touring theatre was the mainstay of the provincial theatre, taking Shakespeare and the latest West End successes to the provinces, but the number has dropped considerably.

Ex. 2 Read this information about some most distinguished theatres in London and be read to discuss it:

THE THEATRE ROYAL / DRURY LANE is a London theatre famous for its musicals. It is London’s oldest theatre, founded in 1663. David Garrick, a great English actor of the 18^th century, made his first appearance here. The theatre is named after Drury Lane, a street that runs behind it.

THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE / COVENT GARDEN is one of the most famous Opera houses in the world. It is situated near the former site of the Covent Garden Market in central London. The first theatre here opened in 1732 and staged plays as well as concerts. Twice it was destroyed in 1808 and again in 1856. The present building was opened in1858 and is now the home of the Royal Opera (founded in 1946) and Royal Ballet (founded in 1931) companies. It is the leading theatre of opera and ballet in London.One of the Opera House’s finest moments came in 1892 when the first British performance of Wagner’s „Ring” was conducted here by Gustav Mahler. In 1999 the Royal Opera House reopened after a $214 million redevelopment and expansion programme. Since it reopered the Royal Opera House has been open to the public throughout the day (except when performances are in progress), with its many restaurants and bars, and often hosting free lunchtime recitals.The theatre presents spectacular productions with international stars. The repertoire is classical. Seats are expensive, the top price for opera is £100 and for ballet- £37. The seating capacity is 2000 spectators.

THE NATIONAL THEATRE (NT) is staging both classical and modern plays. Wlthin the NT are three theatres under one roof (the Oliver, the Lyttleton and the Cottesloe), each with its own style and character. The largest of the auditoriums, the Oliver Theatre, is named in honour of Laurence Oliver (1907-1991) who is regarded as one of the finest stage and film actors of his generation, as well as being a prominent theatre manager and producer. The NT company has about 100 actors performing a repertoire of 7 or 8 plays each season.

THE BARBICAN THEATRE (up to 1,166 seats) is the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It is one of Britain’s most important theatre companies working in the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stradford-on –Avon and called the Shakespeare Memorial Company until 1982. It is now based both in Stradford and in London, with its London home at the Babrican from 1982.The Barbican Centre was opened in 1982. During World War II a historical part in the City of London was devastated by bombing. After the war it was decided to establish the area for residents, together with arts facilities in this place. Now it is known as the Barbican Centre, the largest complex of its kind in Western Europe. It provides London with a wealth of facilities for artistic events. At its opening the Lord Mayor of London described it as ‘The City’s Gift to the Nation.’ It contains: the Barbican Hall, three Cinemas, an Art Gallery, a public library, the Barbican Theatre, a studeo Theatre called the Pit.

LONDON COLISEUM, the largest theatre in London, is also one of the most flamboyant. The grand building was designed by Frank Matcham in 1904 and crowned by a huge gilded globe. Its Edwardian interior features gilded cherubs and heavy scarlet curtains. The Coliseum was the first theatre in London to have a revolving stage and the first theatre in Europe to be fitted with lifts. Originally a variety house, the Coliseum became a cinema for a short period in 1961-68, but now it is home to the English National Opera. Its productions, all sung in English, are often more challenging than those at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Coliseum is also cheaper and less pretentious than the Royal Opera House. During the Christmas and summer seasons the National Opera hands over the theatre to the major dance companies including the Bolshoi and English National Ballet.

THE ROSE THEATRE. The 16^th century Rose Theatre was the first of four playhouses to be built at Bankside. Shakespeare’s company, which was based at the nearby Globe Theatre, also played here. In 1989 the remains of the Rose Theatre were discovered during excavations for new office buildings. Some two-thirds of the original site were uncovered but these would have been built over if it was not for the work of a group of actors, scholars and theatre-lovers who campaigned tirelessly to save the theatre. A light and sound exhibition, with a video narrated by Sir Ian Mckellan, now raises public awareness of the Rose Theatre. With further funding the Rose Theatre Trust aims to fully excavate the site and make it open to all.

THE ALMEIDA. Originally formed by actor-directors Ian McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent, this fringe theatre has acquired a good reputation over the last 15 years. The Almeida has a steady output of highbrow drama, attracting such big names as Kevin Spacey and Cate Blanchett. Different productions are staged every six or seven weeks. The theatre often produces its own plays but also reworks classical pieces. The venue and a number of works performed here have transferred to the West End.

THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE. The establishment-sounding Royal Court Theatre, with its noble brick and stone Italian Renaissance frontage stares out on trendy Sloane Square and the King’s Road, Chelsea- a surprising locality in which to find the most radical of all of the great theatres of London, and one that changed the face of British drama in the late 1950s.

The Royal Court was closed (except for a short period as a cinema) between the 1932 and 1952. It then marked time for a few years before the historic arrival of the English Stage Company in 1956, which has always invited controversy. The English Stage Company was formed to ‘stage and encourage new writing’ under the artistic direction of George Devine. Devine presented a multitude of works by British writers in the nine years he was at the Court. His achievement was extraordinary. After his death in 1966, the tradition was admirably continued by his successors, Gaskill, Burge and Stafford-Clark. Among the many notable productions presented over the years have been Osborne’s, Wesker’s, Arden’s, Hampton’s, William’s and Caryl Churchill’s plays. Modern foreign greats have not been neglected either, and Brecht, Beckett, Genet, Ionesco and Sartre have been well presented.

Originally a three-tier theatre with a 642-seat capacity, its interior was reconstructed in 1952, closing off the old gallery and reducing the seating to 401. Further redecorations in 1980 enlarged it somewhat. In 1971, a rehearsal room became the 80-seat experimental Theatre Upstaires. Today, the Court’s rather unimpressive auditorium, whose sight-lines could be improved, is the strangely antique setting for modern drama that generally preaches change

Ex.3 Study the map of London’s Theatreland and give answers:

1. What opportunities for theatre-goers do you think numerous West End theatres offer?

2. What are some of the advantages of choosing from so many theatres?

3. What are the most popular theatres? What are they remarkable for and what kinds of plays do they stage?

4. Choose one of the theatres to your liking and get ready to speak about it in class.

Ex.4 Discuss the answers to these questions with your groupmates:

1. What are the most distinguished theatres in your city?

2. What are they remarkable for?

Ex.5 Find information about the history of the Gomel Regional Drama Theatre and present

it in class.

UNIT VI

Ex.1 Read the following information about booking seats for London’s theatres and get ready to answer some questions:

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