Going to the Theatre
Theatre is an art form that has been around for a long time, and it continues to be an important part of our culture today. It gives actors, writers, and directors a platform to be creative and tell stories that can inspire, teach, and entertain people. Theatre lets us explore difficult topics, question our beliefs, and think about our world in new ways. It is a powerful way to communicate that brings people together and helps us understand each other better. Theatre can also make us think about our own lives and the choices we make, and it can give us a break from our everyday routine. Theatre performances inspire, educate, and entertain audiences. Theatre is an important part of our culture and a valuable part of our lives.
Level A2/B1
Theatre Word List
theatre – театр
a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are given
Shall we go to the theatre on Friday? There were many vacant seats in the theatre.
go to the theatre – ходити до театру
They went to the theatre yesterday.
theatre-goer – театрал
someone who regularly goes to the theatre
I’m a keen theatre-goer. She’s the talk of London’s theatre-goers since her last performance.
opera house – оперний театр
a theatre designed for the performance of opera
She works as a set designer for the Royal Opera House.
puppet theatre – ляльковий театр
a type of theatre using two-or three-dimensional puppets that are operated by actors called puppeteers, who are generally hidden from the viewers behind a screen
There is a puppet theatre in our town.
box office – театральна каса
the place where tickets are bought for the play
Tickets are available at the box office.
ballet – балет
an artistic dance form performed to music
The ballet dancer is so graceful. They went downtown to see a ballet.
opera – опера
a dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists
‘Carmen’ is my favourite opera. I don’t care for opera.
comedy – комедія
a play that treats situations or characters in a humorous way
It is a lovely romantic comedy worth seeing. She is a popular comedy actress.
tragedy – трагедія
a play dealing with tragic events
‘Macbeth’ is a famous tragedy by Shakespeare. She was too exhausted and distressed to talk about the tragedy.
foyer – фойє
an entrance hall in a theater
I’ll meet you in the foyer. Drinks, ices and snacks are all on sale in the foyer.
usher – білетер
one who escorts persons to their seats in a theatrical setting
The usher seated us in the front row. He did part-time work as an usher in a theatre.
programme – програма
a sheet or booklet giving details of items or performers at an event or performance
We read the cast list in the programme.
auditorium / house – зал для глядачів
the part of the theatre accommodating the audience during the performance
The auditorium has comfortable seating and modern acoustics.
stage – сцена
the platform where actors perform
A lot of electric lamps illuminated the stage. She was applauded as she came on stage.
to stage – ставити (п’єсу)
present a performance of a play or other show
The Globe Theatre is a famous theatre where only Shakespeare’s plays are staged.
backstage – за лаштунками
area that the audience cannot see
After the show, we were allowed to go backstage to meet the cast.
the wings – куліси
backstage area on either side of the stage
She stood watching the performance from the wings.
curtain – завіса
a screen of heavy cloth that can be raised or lowered at the front of a stage
As the curtain rose, the audience fell silent.
curtain call – вихід на уклін публіці
the appearance of the actors at the end of a performance, to accept the applause of the audience
They took several curtain calls. Curtain call followed curtain call, to the surprise of some of the dancers.
the stalls – партер
the seats on the ground floor in a theatre
I’d like seats on the front row of the stalls.
the dress circle – бельетаж
the first level of seats above the ground floor in a theatre
They had excellent seats in the dress circle.
boxes – ложі
a small, separated seating area in the auditorium
Box seats in Broadway theaters used to be very fashionable.
the gallery / the gods – гальорка
the gallery in a theatre or concert hall is an area high above the ground that usually contains the cheapest seats
I want two tickets for the gallery, please. We could only afford seats up in the gallery.
orchestra pit – оркестрова яма
the part of a theatre where the orchestra plays, typically in front of the stage and on a lower level
The musicians took their places at the orchestra pit. A conductor coordinates both the singers on stage and the musicians in the orchestra pit.
greenroom – артистичне фойє
a room close to the stage for the actors to meet and relax before or after going on stage
The two actresses were chatting in the greenroom.
dressing room – вбиральня
a room backstage where actors can dress and put on makeup
He spent the interval just sitting in his dressing room, gathering his strength for the next act.
cloakroom – гардеробна
a room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left
I went to the cloakroom in the first interval.
scenery – декорації
the elements of a stage setting, especially those made of wood and canvas
She designed the scenery for the play. The scenery showed a forest.
actor – актор
performer, player, thespian
The actor has learned off his lines. He certainly is a marvellous actor.
rehearse – репетирувати
to prepare a play for production
I think we need to rehearse the first scene again. We were given only two weeks to rehearse.
rehearsal – репетиція
a practice performance of a play for later public performance
Our new production of ‘Hamlet’ is currently in rehearsal.
dress rehearsal – генеральна репетиція
final rehearsal before the show opens with full costumes, makeup, lights, sound, props, etc.
During the dress rehearsal she suddenly forgot her lines.
perform – виконувати
present (a form of entertainment) to an audience
The children perform two plays each school year.
performance – вистава
an act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment
Congratulations on a superb performance!
theatrical performance – театральнa вистава
the performance which involves living actors and a living audience, it is not filmed or broadcast
These are the prizes given for the most outstanding British theatrical performances of the year.
matinee performance – ранковa вистава
afternoon performance of a show
He invited an entire school to his matinee performance.
audience – публіка, глядачі
people who watch and or listen and respond to a performance
The audience clapped enthusiastically and called for more.
cast – акторський склад
actors in a play
Most of the cast act well. The play succeeded thanks to fine acting by all the cast.
casting – підбір акторів
the process of selecting actors, dancers, etc. for a play
Casting three actresses in the film to play one role was very challenging.
audition – прослуховування
a short performance given by an actor, dancer, musician, or other performer that tests whether that person’s skills are suitable for a particular event or group
I did an audition for the part of the queen. I’m going to the audition but I don’t expect I’ll get a part.
play – п’єса
a piece of non-musical theatrical storytelling
The play was a very great success.
playwright – драматург
a person who writes plays
Shakespeare is the most well known playwright in the world.
royalty – роялті
money paid to a playwright for permission to stage his/her play
The writer gets a ten percent royalty on each copy of his book.
director – режисер
the person in charge of a production
She’s considered one of the best young directors in Hollywood.
producer – продюсер
person who finds financial investors, hires the director and production staff, sets the budget, etc. for a play production
The producer plans to audition dancers tomorrow morning.
lines – слова ролі
words to be spoken by actors
Many lines from Shakespeare’s plays are quoted. The actor has learned off his lines.
prompter – суфлер
person situated offstage who supplies missed lines during a performance
Amateur companies almost always have a prompter, someone who sits in the wings and prompts the actors if they forget their lines.
role – роль
part or character played by an actor
John’s playing the leading role in this year’s play. He played the title role in’Hamlet ‘.
script – сценарій
written copy of a play
The producer disliked the script and demanded a rewrite.
interval – антракт
a break between a play
We can get some drinks in the interval.
costumes – костюми
clothing for a certain kind of a play
He has designed all the scenes and costumes.
character – герой
a person in a novel, play, or movie
The actor played an evil character.
blackout – затемнення
a period when all stage lighting is turned off
A blackout is used in theatrical productions to help the audience be transported from one scene to another or between short works.
spotlight – вогні рампи
a lamp projecting a narrow, intense beam of light directly on to a place or person, especially a performer on stage
choreography – хореографія
the composition and arrangement of dances
Who did the choreography for last year’s production of ‘Swan Lake’?
orchestra – оркестр
a group of instrumentalists
The orchestra will give two more performances this week
conductor – диригент
the director of an orchestra
She was a success both as a pianist and as a conductor.
chorus – хор
a large organized group of singers, especially one which performs with an orchestra or opera company
The chorus was singing “The Ode to Joy”.
opera glasses – театральний бінокль
small binoculars for use at the opera or theatre
He used opera glasses at the opera.
spectator – глядач
a person who watches at a show, play, game, or other event
The spectators were asked to be quiet during play.
applaud – аплодувати
show approval or praise by clapping
The audience stood and applauded her performance.
break into applause (broke, broken) – зірватись оплесками
suddenly start applauding
Spectators break into applause to cheer the actors on.
critic – критик
a journalist who writes reviews for theatre productions
He’s the drama critic for the Times.
Have Practice
Task 1. Complete the sentences with the words: actresses, shot, stage, actor, performance, screen
- It isn’t easy to act on the ___________, when hundreds of people look at you.
- Famous _____________ aren’t always beautiful, but they are always talented.
- Some people prefer to watch films in the cinema because a wide ___________ there makes you feel as if you are the participant of the adventure.
- My Granny can’t imagine her life without the theatre and enjoys every minute of a theatrical _________________.
- When she saw the first ______________ of this film on TV she understood it was very serious.
Task 2. Complete the sentences with the correct question tags.
- You haven’t seen this show yet, ___________________?
- The theatre company arrived two days ago, ___________________?
- The performance will start in a minute, ____________________?
- The spectators were charmed by the show, _________________?
- The interval wasn’t too long, _________________?
- The tickets were sold a week ago, ________________?
Task 3. Match the words with their definition: the usher, the orchestra, the cloakroom, the audience, the interval, the stage
- This is the place where the actors perform the show. ___________________
- People who come to see the performance. ____________________
- A group of people who produce music. _____________________
- The break between the parts of a performance. __________________
- The person who meets you at the entrance of the theatre. _____________________
- A place in the theatre where you can leave your overcoat. ____________________
Task 4. Match the words to make word combinations and make up sentences with them.
1. theatrical
2. the orchestra
3. to break
4. the third
5. the theatre
6. opera
7. a ticket
a. hall
b. glasses
c. show
d. into applause
e. booth
f. pit
g. bell
Task 5. Why would you like to go to the theatre?
- I’d like to go to the theatre (cinema) because …
- you become a part of adventure
- you live in the world created by actors and actresses
- you are not a simple viewer, you are an active participant
- you feel what the heroes feel
- you think the way the heroes think
- you face the same problems the heroes do
- the world of theatre lets us look at ourselves and become better
Task 6. Match the words with their definitions.
1. an opera
2. a theatre
3. a ballet
4. a comedy
5. a cinema
6. a drama
a. a building where films are demonstrated on a large screen
b. a performance in the theatre, where the words are sung to the music
c. a performance about daily life and humorous life situations
d. a play for the theatre, radio, or TV
e. a performance where a group of dancers tell the spectators a story
f. a special building where the performances are held
Task 7. Write the sentences as in the example. Use the verbs in the correct tense form.
Example: We / to watch/ the ballet “The Nutcracker”/ yesterday/. – We watched the ballet “The Nutcracker” yesterday.
- The opera “The Queen of Spades” by Piotr Tchaikovsky/ in 1890/ to be first staged/.
- You/ to be going to/ to listen to/ “The Moonlight Sonata”/ by L. V. Beethoven/?
- I/ to watch/ “The Marriage of Figaro” by W. Mozart/ at this time yesterday/.
- He / not to watch/ the opera “Natalka Poltavka”/ by Mykola Lysenko/ yet.
- You/ to watch/ the ballet “The Swan Lake”/ or/ “The Sleeping Beauty”/ by Piotr Tchaikovsky/ next weekend/?
- Who/ to compose/ the opera “Taras Bulba”/
Task 8. Describe your last visit to the theatre.
• What was the title of the play?
• What was it about?
• Did you like the performance?
Useful Phrases
- What’s your impression of the play /performance? – It’s fantastic!
- How do you feel about the play? – I think it’s really exciting.
- We enjoyed the play. It was really exciting.
- That was a wonderful performance!
- I liked the music, the lighting and the scenery.
- What a fantastic performance! We couldn’t take our eyes from the stage.
- The actors played wonderfully.
- I was impressed by the play.
- I don’t like such plays. They are boring.
- I’m not pleased with this performance.
- I hate opera.
- The play was really colourful.
- The play is serious and clever.
- The performance is excellent.
- I liked the actress who who played the main heroine in this play.
- The play is worth seeing
Use This Sample to Tell about Your Visit to the Theatre
- Spectators can watch dramas, tragedies and comedies at the theatre.
- The visitors usually buy tickets beforehand in the box offices.
- Theatrical shows usually start at 7 p. m.
- When you go in, you enter the foyer.
- You can leave your coats and hats in the cloakroom.
- The person who meets you at the entrance to the theatre hall is the usher.
- You show your ticket to her.
- When you enter a hall, you find your seats.
- You can see a stage in front of you.
- The musicians sit in the orchestra pit.
- The performance begins after the third bell has rung.
- The curtain goes up.
- If the spectators enjoy the performance, they break into applause.
- There are intervals in the play.
- The spectators go to the buffet during the intervals.
- The people talk about the performance when it ends.
- They discuss the play of the actors and actresses.
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