Текст для чтения A glimpse of London theatres
методическая разработка по английскому языку (11 класс) по теме

A glimpse of London theatres

 Going to the theatre is a way of spending an evening which can be at the same time most entertaining and educative. Despite competition from the cinema, wireless and television, the theatre still plays an important part in the life of the average Englishman. There are over 220 professional theatres in Britain. The center of theatrical activity is in London where there are some 30 principal theatres in the “West End” and several more in the suburbs, but some important performances are taking place in the provinces. In London there are theatres for all tastes: some people prefer musical comedy and shows of that kind, with their catchy tunes are very popular. Variety shows, in which actors entertain the audience with sentimental and comic performances also draw full houses and greatly influence the artistic tastes of the public.

  Those who do not care for musical comedy or variety will find other shows to their taste. Some theatres stage modern plays: Shakespeare and other classics are played mostly at Old Vic, the Royal Opera shows opera and ballet. The evening performances usually begin at 19.30 or at 20.00 and finish at about eleven. Seats are expensive and a night out at a theatre is quite a luxury for the average Englishman. Only a few theatres have their own permanent companies. Groups are formed for a season, sometimes even for a single play. Regular seasons of opera and ballet are given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the National Theatre.

  Some theatres concentrate on the classics and serious drama, some on light comedy and revue, some on musicals. Most theatres have a personality of their own: from the old such as the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket, to the very new such as the Mermaid Theatre in the city of London built on the banks of the Thames. A visitor to London is always surprised when he sees the Royal Opera House standing almost inside Covent Garden, the city’s great fruit, flower and vegetable market. Because of its location it is usually referred to simply as “Covent Garden” and if someone tells us that he is going to the Covent Garden we immediately think of the opera and not greengrocery. The first Covent Garden Theatre was built in 1732. It was more a theatre of drama than of opera. Yet many of Handel’s operas were performed here for the first time. The famous singers such as Adelina Patty, Tetrazziny and Caruso sang here many times. The great Russian Shaliapin also sang in Covent Garden. The composers Gounod and Berlioz came to see their operas performed. Now the theatre is busier than ever: it is one of the well-known opera houses open for eleven months in the year and it employs over 600 people both of the opera company and the Royal Ballet.

If we really like or dislike something we use emphatic and exclamatory sentences. Make the opinions sound more convincing and emphatic:

1 I like opera.  (I do like opera)

2 My friend hates melodramas. (My friend does hate melodramas.)

3 I enjoyed the performance. (I did enjoy the performance.)

4 It was funny. (It WAS funny.)

5 It made me cry. (It did make me cry.)

6 It is extraordinary. (It IS extraordinary.)

7 I prefer staying at home. (I do prefer staying at home.)

8 Louis loves action films. Louis does love action films.)

9 I find it exciting. (I do find it exciting.)

10 We loved fairy tales when we were younger. (We did love fairy tales when we were younger.)

Express your opinion to these statements, using exclamatory sentences:

1 The play is very touching.   (What a touching play!)

2 Craig Lucas is an outstanding playwright.   (What an outstanding writer he is!)

3 It was a magnificent performance.   (What a magnificent performance it was!)

4 You listened to a complicated opera.   (What a complicated opera!)

5 The actors played excellently in the film.  (How excellently the actors played!)

6 You liked the decorations which were so beautiful.  (What beautiful decorations!)

7It is so true to life.  (How true to life it is!)

8 The film had a mysterious plot.  (What a mysterious plot!)

1 the part of the theatre where the audience sits (stalls);

2 a raised platform in a theatre where the actors appear (stage);            

3 a place where hats and coats may be left (a cloak room);

4 a set of actors in a play (cast);

5 the main role (a leading part);

6 a trial performance of a play (first night);

7 a person who examines our tickets at the entrance of the theatre (an usher);

8 what expressions do we use if we want to say that we remember something very well? (it stands in memory quite vividly);      

9 what does the sign “House Full” at the entrance of the theatre mean? (all tickets are sold out);

10 what expressions means that everybody liked the performance very much? (it had a successful run );

   1 The lights went up and performance was over. (went down; began)

   2 The play is boring, I think it will be a failure. (exciting; be a success)

   3 As the performance was terrible all tickets were still in the box-office.    

   (magnificent; already sold out)

   4 We’ve got fine seats quite close to the stage. (rotten; very far from)

The curtain went up and the performance began. (fell down; was over)

Match the words in 2 columns, what do these expressions mean?

   to burst into                         beyond any words

   to be warmly                        run

   to attract                              quite vividly

   to have a successful             received by the public

   to draw                                 advance

   it was magnificent               seeing

   to book tickets in                 capacity crowds

   to stand in memory             public’s attention

   to be worth                           waste of time

   to meet with                         applause

   to be a sheer                         thinking

   the film provokes                 a storm of applause

Find English equivalents for the following Russian ones: способ провести вечер; центр театральной деятельности; развлекать зрителей; занимательный и обучающий; театры на любой вкус; собирать полный зал (аншлаг); оказывают большое влияние; являются роскошью; собственный характер; инсценировать современные пьесы; сосредоточены на классических произведениях и драме; постоянный состав исполнителей.

4. Do you agree with the following statements?

1. Theatre’s role in entertainment and education of people is great.

2. London is called the center of theatrical activity.

3. It’s difficult to find performances for all tastes in London.

4. Seats are not very expensive and even an average Englishman can afford a night out at a theatre.

5. Theatres rarely have their own permanent companies.

6. It’s really surprising for tourists to see the Royal Opera House inside the city’s great fruit, flower and vegetable market.

7. The first Covent Garden Theatre was famous for its musical comedies.

8. Nowadays over 600 people are busy with the performance at the Royal Opera House.    

1 What genres of films do you know? (science fiction, documentary, historical, detective, fantastic, horror, action films)  

 2 What is the centre of film industry in the USA? Where is it situated? (Hollywood, Los Angeles)

3What genres of performances do you know? (tragedy, drama, comedy, opera, operetta, musical, ballet)

4 What are the world-famous theatres of Russia? (the Bolshoi, the Mali, the Mayakovski, the Mariinski, the Moscow Art Academic Theatres)

5 When was the first film shot? What film  was it? (in 1895,”Arrival of the train”)

6 Who is busy with the production of the film? (directors, producers, actors, workers,

electricians…)

7 What did the spreading of cinematography in Russia start with? (the demonstration of the Lumiere brothers’ film in May 1896 in St. Petersburg and in Moscow)

8 Who founded the first film studios in Russia? (Alexandr Khanzhonkov)

9 What were the most popular genres of Russian films? (historic films and screen versions of famous novels)

10  When was the first building of the Bolshoi Theatre built? Who was the architect of the

 modern building of the theatre? (in 1776, O.Bovet)

11 What people are busy with the performance in the theatre? (actors, producers, directors, scriptwriters, makeup artists, costume designers, electricians…)

12 What are the main parts a theatre consists of? Where can the audience sit? (the stage and the hall; in the stalls (the pit), boxes, balcony, gallery, dress-circle)

13 Where can people buy tickets for a performance? (in the box-office)

14How do people express their emotions if they are greatly impressed by the performance? (they applaud, cry “ENCO”)

 Theatre    

1). People live a very busy life nowadays, so they have little time to spare. 2). Still they try their best to make use of those rare hours of leisure. 3). Some people find it a pleasure to go to the theatre. 4). The theatre is one of the most ancient kinds of arts. 5). For centuries people have come to the theatre for different aims: to relax, to be amused and entertained, to have a good laugh, to enjoy the acting of their favourite actors and actresses.

6). Some people like drama, others are fond of musical comedy. 7). The subtlest theatre-lovers prefer ballet and opera. 8). In our country there are a lot of theatres: big and small, new and old, famous and not very well known. 9), The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow is among the most famous theatres in the world. 10). Wonderful operas and ballets are staged in this theatre. 11). The names of Ulanova, Plisetskaya, Maximova, Vasiliev, Arkhipova, Sotkilava and others are known worldwide.

12). The other most popular Moscow theatres are the Maly Theatre, the Satire Theatre, the Vachtangov Theatre, the Variety Theatre and others. 13). Young spectators attend the Children's Musical Theatre and the Puppet Theatre more willingly. 14). All these and lots of other theatres present a great variety of shows. 15). That makes a spectator feel somewhat at a loss what theatre to choose. 16). In this case it may turn out useful to consult a billboard and find out what and where is on. 17). Sometimes you may face a difficulty of another kind: that is of getting tickets. 18). If you don't feel like standing in a queue for tickets at the box-office, you may book them beforehand.

19). Ticket prices vary according to the seats. 20). The better seats at the theatre are in the stalls and in the dress circle. 21). They are rather expensive seats. 22). Boxes, of course, are the best seats and the most expensive, too. 23). Those people, who are short of money, take seats in the gallery, in the balcony or in the upper balcony. 24). Tickets for afternoon performances are cheaper than those for evening performances.

Театр  

1). Люди в наши дни живут очень занятой жизнью, поэтому у них мало свободного времени. 2). Всё же они стараются с пользой проводить редкие часы досуга. 3). Некоторые люди с удовольствием ходят в театр. 4). Театр - один из самых древних видов искусств. 5). Веками люди ходят в театр с разной целью: расслабиться, развлечься, посмеяться, насладиться игрой своих любимых актёров и актрис. 6). Кто-то любит драму, кто-то увлекается музыкальной комедией. 7). Самые утончённые театралы предпочитают балет и оперу. 8). В нашей стране много театров: больших и маленьких, новых и старых, знаменитых и не очень хорошо известных. 9). Большой Театр в Москве - среди наиболее знаменитых в мире. 10). Прекрасные оперы и балеты ставятся в этом театре. 11). Имена Улановой, Плисецкой, Максимовой, Васильева, Архиповой, Соткилавы и других известны во всём мире. 12). Другие наиболее популярные московские театры - Малый театр, Театр сатиры, Театр им. Вахтангова, Театр эстрады и другие. 13). Юные зрители посещают Детский музыкальный театр и Театр кукол. 14). Все эти и множество других театров дают много разных представлений. 15). Из-за этого зритель иногда бывает в растерянности, какой театр выбрать. 16). В этом случае может оказаться полезным просмотреть афишу и выяснить, что где идёт. 17). Иногда Вы можете столкнуться с трудностью иного рода - как достать билеты. 18). Если Вы не хотите стоять в очереди за билетами у театральной кассы, Вы можете заказать их заранее.19). Цены на билеты варьируются в зависимости от мест. 20). Лучшие места в театре - в партере и в бельэтаже. 21). Они довольно дороги. 22). Ложи, конечно, являются самыми лучшими местами, а также самыми дорогими. 23). Те, у кого не очень много денег, берут билеты на галёрку, на балкон или верхний балкон. 24). Билеты на дневное представление дешевле, чем на вечерние представления.

 Dialogue:
- Are you a frequent theatregoer?
- I can't say I am. But still I try not to miss an opportunity to see the plays that are spoken of and are worth seeing.
- When did you visit the theatre first?
- It was some years ago. My mother took me to a morning performance of the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty".
- What were your impressions?
- It was great! The acting, the costumes, the music of the ballet were superb! The performance was a great success with the public.
- Have you ever been to the Bolshoi Theatre?
- Unfortunately, I haven't. But my mother happened to be there. She listened to the opera "The Queen of Spades" there. I can't tell you what a treat it was for her.

Диалог:
- Вы часто ходите в театр?
- Я не могу так сказать. Но всё же я стараюсь не упустить возможность увидеть те спектакли, о которых говорят и которые стоит посмотреть.
- Когда Вы впервые пошли в театр?
- Это было несколько лет назад. Моя мама повела меня на утреннее представление балета "Спящая красавица".
- Каковы же были впечатления?
- Было здорово! Игра, костюмы, музыка балета - всё было великолепно. Представление имело большой успех у публики.
- Вы когда-нибудь были в Большом театре?
- К сожалению, нет. Но моей маме довелось побывать там. Она слушала оперу "Пиковая дама". Не могу Вам передать, какое это было для неё удовольствие.