Fill in the blanks with the words listed below. Some of the words may be used more than once

Answer the following questions.

1. How many theatres are there in Great Britain?

2. How many of these are rented or owned by non-profit-making companies?

3. What body subsidizes the above theatres?

4. In what way are the remainder operated?

5. How many theatres are there in or near the West End of London?

6. Where else are there theatres in London?

7. What kinds of plays does the National Theatre stage?

8. What kinds of plays does the Royal Shakespeare Company present?

9. What kinds of plays does the English Stage Company present?

10. In what ways does the Arts Council assist the theatre in Britain?

11. How many amateur drama societies are there in Britain?

12. What official organizations encourage amateur dramatic societies?

13. What do you know about the Royal Opera House?

Siddons Sarah (1755—1831), English actress. The eldest of the 12 children of Roger Kemble, an actor-manager in the provinces, she _______ her childhood travelling with his company, and at the age of 18 married William Siddons (1744—1808), also a member ofthecompany. They ________ together in the provinces, returningtherein 1775 after Mrs. Siddons had made a first and unsuccessful appearanceat Drury Lane under Garrick, and were seen in York withTate Wilkinson and Bath with John Palmer. A second appearanceby Mrs. Siddons in London in 1782 was more successful, and she was soon acclaimed as a tragic actress without equal, a positionshe _______ until the end of her career. She began, however, atthe zenith of her powers, and unlike her brother John Philip Kemble did not improve with age. Among her early parts were Isabella in Southerne's The Fatal Marriage, Belvidera in Otway's VenicePreserved, and the title role in Rowe's Jane Shore. Later she _______outstanding as Constance in King John, Zara in Congreve's The Mourning Bride, and above all Lady Macbeth, the part in which she ________ her farewell appearance on 29 June 1812. She returned in1819 to play Lady Randolph in Home's Douglas for the Benefit of her younger brother Charles Kemble, but was only the shadow of her former self. In her heyday critics were unanimous in their praise of her beauty, tenderness, and nobility. A superbly built and extremely _________ woman, with a rich, resonant voice and great amplitude ofgesture, she wisely refused to appear in comedy. She was not much liked by her fellow actors and had a dislike of publicity which led her to rebuff her admirers. Painters such as Reynolds, Lawrence, and Gainsborough delighted in painting her, the first immortalizing her beauty in 1784 in his portrait 'The Tragic Muse'. Towards the end of her career she became somewhat stout, and her acting was considered old-fashioned. She was also extremely prudish and _______ to wear man's attire when playing Rosalind in As You Like It in 1785, appearing in a costume which was neither that of a man nor a woman and extremely unbecoming. In any case she was poor in the part and never appeared in it again. Yet her brother John Philip once _________ to her as 'one of the best comic singers of the day'; asthere is no record of her ever having appeared before the public in that capacity one can only surmise that she unbent in private. She had seven children, four girls dying in infancy. Her son Henry(1775-1815), who ________ the sister-in-law of Sam Cowell, was fora long time connected with the Edinburgh Theatre, but was ______ a poor actor.

accounted	maintained
spent	played
proved	refused
dignified	referred
made	married

4. Work in pairs. Read the beginning of the text on four London theatres. What do you think the text will focus on?

The four theatres listed below present an eclectic mix of new plays and classics, with seven or eight productions in repertory at any one time. It aims constantly to re-energize the great traditions of the British stage and to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike. It aspires to reflect in its repertoire the diversity of culture. Through an extensive programme of platform performances, backstage tours, foyer music, exhibitions and free outdoor entertainment it is recognized that the theatre doesn’t begin and end with the rise and fall of the curtain. And by touring, they share their work with audiences in the UK and abroad.

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