1.Drama, music and ballet

The centre of theatrical activity in Britain is London. There are about 50 principal theatres in professional use in or near the West End and some 20 in the suburbs.

The National Theatre which stages classical and modern plays in its complex of three theatres on the South Bank of the River Thames, the former Old Vic Company, which was Britain's major theatri­cal touring company, has now taken up residence in the Na­tional Theatre, changing its name to the National Theatre Company. In addition the Royal Shakespeare Company pre­sents Shakespearean plays at Stradford-upon-Avon and a mixed repertoire in London.

Outside London there are many non-repertory theatres which present all kinds of drama and also put on variety shows and other entertainments.

Music of all kinds — "pop" music, folk music, jazz, light music and brass bands — is an important part of British cul­tural life.

The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London gives regular seasons of opera and ballet. It has its own orchestra which plays for the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet.

There are several thousand amateur dramatic societies in Britain. Most universities have thriving amateur drama clubs and societies.

2.A visit to the theatre

There are quite many theatres in my city and they are all very popular with the public. The visitors can enjoy watching dramas, tragedies, comedies and sometimes an opera or a ballet.

The visitors usually buy tickets beforehand in the ticket booths or in the ticket box offices. Theatrical shows usually start at 7:00 p.m.

When you go in, you enter the foyer, then you come to the cloak-room, where we leave our coats and hats. You can also take opera glasses there.

After that you go to the theatre hall. The person who meets you at the entrance is usher. You must show your ticket to her.

When you enter the hall, you find your seats. You can see the stage in front of you. You can't see the scenery before the performance start.

The orchestra pit is next to the stage. This is where the musicians sit and play the music. The performance begins after the third bell has rung.

The curtain goes up and you become a spectator. If the spectators enjoy the performance they applaud, give flowers and small presents to the actors and actresses.

Between the acts of the play there are intervals. The spectators leave their seats and go to the buffet where they can eat a cake and drink a glass of lemonade or juice. During the interval the spectators discuss the performance and the play of the actors and actresses.

After the performance finishes, the spectators rise from their seats and go to the cloakroom to get their coats and hats. You hear them say: “I enjoyed the performance very much”, “The performance was splendid”, “The actors and actresses performend very well”.

3. A visit to the cinema.

Once I read an article about various kinds of entertainment. According to it TV, radio and cinema have made great changes in the entertainments with which people fill their free time. There was a time when people knew what to do to enjoy themselves: they played games, sang, played musical instruments, went out shooting. Nowadays we can get entertained by the TV, the radio, the theatre or the cinema. Cinema is available no matter where you live. You can always find the film you like among horror films, thrillers, westerns, detective, love, musical films or comedies. Not so long ago most people used to visit cinema every week. Often cinema houses were overcrowded. But at present video production has flooded the market and cinema became less popular. I don’t go often to the cineme and my friends are not regular cinema-goers either. But if there is a film, which is a hit with the public, I do my best to watch it. As for me I like action films, comedies, and melodrama. I like comedies best because it’s extremely funny and a good way to relax. I like to watch melodrama because it’s realistic, truly to life. Action films are very dynamic and exciting.