Task 7. Now read some information about the most famous English theatres and performing centres, then discuss it with a partner.

In 1960 Peter Hall established the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). In the same year, as well as presenting performances in Stratford, the company began performing at the Aldwych Theatre in London. In 1963 the company was given its first Arts Council subsidy. In 1978 the company launched an annual regional tour. In 1996 the company was remodelled to increase national touring. In 2001 the RSC announced pioneering plans to redevelop the Stratford theatres and reinvigorate the company's presence in London. Most of the country's leading actors have appeared with the RSC over the Company's history. Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Jane Lapotaire, Ian McKellen, Fiona Shaw, Antony Sher, Juliet Stevenson, Patrick Stewart, Imogen Stubbs, David Suchet, Harriet Walter and John Wood are all past RSC actors. In Stratford-upon-Avon a local brewer Charles Flower donated land adjacent to the river Avon to build the first permanent theatre in Stratford dedicated to performing Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was built in 1879. The original Memorial Theatre was destroyed by fire in 1926, and the current theatre, designed by Elisabeth Scott was erected in 1932. The company became known as the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961 and Scott's building was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The Other Place was created in a tin hut in 1974 and later replaced with a purpose built studio theatre in 1991. In 1986 the site of the original Memorial Theatre was converted into the award-winning Swan Theatre.

It is a wonderfully atmospheric galleried playhouse. The original Victorian building fell victim to a fire in 1928. The new building was built in 1932 and the inside has been designed to reflect an actual Elizabethan style theatre. In 2001 the RSC announced pioneering plans to redevelop the Stratford theatres to create one of the world's leading centres for performance, training and lifelong learning.

Aldwych theatre was designed by W.G.R.Sprague in 1905. The opening production was "Blue Bell". On the 15^th of December 1960 the Royal Shakespeare Company from Stratford-upon-Avon took over the Aldwych as its London base for 21 years before moving to the Barbican.

The Barbican Center was built in 1982. It is the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. It has two theatres 'Barbican Theatre' with seating capacity at 1,162 and a small theatre called 'The Pit', seating capacity 185. The RSC occupy The Barbican for 6 months of of the year. The other 6 months is taken up with the Barbican's own programming titled BITE

The Royal National Theatre was designed by Denys Lasdun and opened by the Queen in 1976. It has three theatres, The Olivier which is the biggest of the three, with a capacity of 1,160, The Lyttelton with a capacity of 890, and the small Cottesloe with a capacity of 400. All shows are usually in repertoire, which means you can see many productions in a week. The National show a varied amount of productions, musicals, classics and new plays.

The Royal Opera and Ballet Theatre in Covent Garden. The Royal Opera House is the third theatre on the Covent Garden site. Its history began in 1728 when John Rich, actor/manager commissioned The Beggar’s Opera from John Gay. The success of the performance provided the capital for the first Theatre Royal at Covent Garden, designed by Edward Shepherd. On the opening night, 7 December 1732, Rich’s actors carried him there in triumph for a performance of Congreve’s The Way of the World. For the first hundred years or so of its history the theatre was primarily a playhouse; Charles II had given Covent Garden and Drury Lane almost sole rights to present spoken drama in the capital. Rich himself was a famous Harlequin, appearing under the stage name of Lun. During his management he developed pantomime as an art form in its own right, and the tradition of Christmas pantomimes at Covent Garden survived until the 1930s. The last pantomime performed there was Francis Laidler’s Little Red Riding Hood in December/January 1938/39. The first serious musical works to be heard at Covent Garden were the operas of Handel. From 1735 until his death in 1759 he gave regular seasons there, and many of his operas and oratorios were written for Covent Garden or had their first London performances there. He bequeathed his organ to John Rich, and it was placed in a prominent position on the stage. Unfortunately it was among many valuable items lost in a fire that destroyed the theatre in 1808. the second Theatre Royal, Covent Garden opened on 18 September 1809 with a performance of Macbeth. On the 5^th of March 1856 disaster struck again. For the second time the theatre was completely destroyed by fire. Work on the third and present theatre eventually started in 1857 and the new building opened on 15 May 1858 with a performance of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. The theatre became the Royal Opera House in 1892. The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera were granted their Royal Charters in 1956 and 1968 respectively. In 1975 the Labour government gave land adjacent to the Royal Opera House for its much needed modernisation, refurbishment and extension.

The Drury Lane Theatre Royal is situated in Catherine Street, Westminster. It was first opened in 1663. Some of the most famous luminaries of British Theatre performed in the historic theatres on this site, including Nell Gwynne, Mrs Siddons, Garrick, Kean and Grimaldi. The playwright Sheridan also produced many of his comedies here, including 'The School for Scandal' in 1777. The present theatre was built by Benjamin Wyatt, following a fire in 1809. It Opened on the 10^th of October, 1812 with a performance of "Hamlet". After that the theatre has hosted musicals including 'Rose Marie','Show Boat', 'My Fair Lady' and most recently 'Miss Saigon'.

The Royal Adelphi Theatre is situated on the Strand. It is a medium-sized theatre, seating approximately 1,500 people, with facilities for the disabled. The Theatre was first opened in 1806. It became known as the Royal Adelphi when it was extensively refurbished in 1867. The Adelphi is currently hosting the hit musical 'Chicago', based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins.

Garrick Theatre was built in 1889 by Walter Emden with C. J. Phipps for W. S. Gilbert. It was named in honour of the English actor, producer, dramatist, and poet, David Garrick (1717-1779). The theatre opened on the 24^th of April, 1889 with the play "The Profligate". Originally there were 807 seats, today 700 seats. Born 19 February 1717 in Hereford, the second son of Peter and Arabella Garrick, David spent his boyhood in Lichfield, where he and his brother George attended for a short while the “select academy” run by Samuel Johnson. In 1737 Garrick and Johnson travelled to London. In 1741 Garrick appeared before the public for the first time. In 1747 he became involved in the management of Drury Lane Theatre. In 1769 he organized Shakespeare Jubilee at Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Globe Theatre. Over 400 years ago when young William Shakespeare left Stratford-upon-Avon and came to London there were several playhouses there among which there was the one popular with Queen Elizabeth 1, which was called the Theatre. It was there that Shakespeare began his acting career and started to write plays. Soon, however, the actors were told to leave for the landlord would not renew the contract, which let them use the land. Rumour has it that in the dead of night the whole acting troop took down their theatre, timber by timber, and carried it across the river and rebuilt their theatre there in Southwark. They called it the Globe to celebrate the new age of discovery and invention. When in 1947 an Ameican actor Sam Wanamaker came to London and decided to visit the famous Globe Theatre, all he found was a plaque on the wall of a brewery: “Here stood the Globe Playhouse of Shakespeare”. Shocked as he was, Wanamaker decided to rebuild the Globe. On June 12 1997 Her Majesty the Queen opened the International Shakespeare Globe Centre, the re-creation of Shakespeare’s theatre. Today you can visit the beautiful new Globe, and in summer you can even see a play performed as it would be in Shakespeare’s day.

Task 8. Study the list of art festivals in Britain in 2003 and chose three events that you would like to visit. In order to find more about these festivals use www.artsfestivals.co.uk