1. Booking Tickets

Gerry: Hello, New Theatre? Have you got two tickets for Othello next Wednesday?

Booking clerk: There aren't many left, I'm afraid. It's the first night, you see. I can give you two

in the balcony, but you won't get a very good view. The dress circle and the

upper circle are completely booked up. I don't suppose you'd like a box, just for two.

Gerry: Well, no. Is there anything in the stalls?

Booking clerk: Wait a minute. Yes, you're lucky. I've got two stalls, Row K, 7 and 8. They've

just been returned. Will you take those? They're ten pounds each. Gerry: Oh er, yes, OK.

Booking clerk: You can pick them up from the box office in the foyer at any time up to half an

hour before the performance. What name is it, please?

2.

Ben: I want four seats for Sunday, please.

Booking clerk: Matinee or evening performance?

Ben: Evening, please.

Booking clerk: Well, you can have very good seats in the stalls. Row F.

Ben: Oh, no! It's near the orchestra pit. My wife can't stand loud music.

Booking clerk: Then I could find some seats in the pit.

Ben: I'm afraid that won't do either. My father-in-law is terribly short-sighted. He won’t see

much from the pit, would he?

Booking clerk: Hm... Perhaps, you'd care to take a box?

Ben: Certainly not! It's too expensive. I can't afford it

Booking clerk: Dress-circle then?

Ben: I don't like to sit in the dress-circle.

Booking clerk: I think the only thing that remains is the gallery.

Ben: How can you suggest such a thing! My mother-in-law has a weak heart.

We couldn't dream of letting her walk up four flights of stairs, could we?

Booking clerk: I find, sir, that there isn't a single seat in the house that would suit you.

Ben: There isn't, is there? Well, I think we'd much better go to the movies. As for me I don't

care much for this theatre-going business. Good-day!

1. 

   the stage

2. the footlights

3. the orchestra

4. the stalls

5. the pit

6. the boxes

7. the dress circle

8. the balcony

9. the gallery

10. the curtain

Ex. 9 I

- What about going to the Opera House tomorrow?

- I think it’s a lovely idea. What are they doing?

- The Sleeping Beauty, by Tchaikovsky, is on.

- I’d like to see it.

- Then I’ll ring up the theatre right away. Hallo! Is that the Opera House? Box-office? Have you two seats left for The Sleeping Beauty on Sunday? Two in the 13^th row of the stalls? That’s excellent. I’ll collect

them and pay before the performance. Leave them in the name of Glasunov, please. Thank you very much.

II

- Hallo! How late you are! We’ve got only seven minutes left.

- Oh, I’m sorry.

- Let’s hurry to the cloak-room.

- Get me some opera-glasses, please. I’ve left mine at home.

- Here is the attendant selling programmes. Shall I buy one?

- Yes, I don’t know who is in the cast.

- Look, K. is dancing the part of Aurora.

- I like ballet performances where she stars. She dances so wonderfully that it seems as if she is floating on air.

- I don’t think she is popular with the public.

- You don’t, do you? Just wait and see what storm of applause will meet her as soon as she appears on the stage!

- Doesn’t she lack feeling in her dance?

- Oh, no, her dancing is very expressive, and she is always at her best.

- You don’t seem to be of the same opinion about her. Well, we shall see. I’ll be very glad if you are right.

- Oh, the lights are going down! Let’s hurry to our seats.

- Come on! The conductor has taken his place and the orchestra is ready to play the overture.

III

- Well, how did you find the performance?

- Fantastic! The cast was excellent!

- No wonder, with so many stars in it. You can call it an all-star cast.

- I’m fascinated by N’s acting. He is always very good, to my mind, but today he was at his best. Don’t you think so?

- I am with you here. I greatly enjoyed the play.

- And did you like the scenery?

- It was splendid. It contributed much to the success of the play.

- I’m very thankful to you for this lovely evening. After all, it was your idea to see this play.

- Nothing to speak of.

Ex. 10. Make up dialoques including the following points:

1. Booking/buying tickets.

2. Before the performance/during the intermission.

3. Sharing your impressions after the performance.

1. Student A: You are calling the Palace Theatre to book two tickets for the concert next Wednesday evening. You want two seats in the circle. Check that the per­formance begins at 7.45.

1. Student B: You are in the Palace Theatre box of­fice. There are plenty of tickets for the concert on Wednesday, which begins at 7.45. You accept bookings by phone but tell callers that they must come and get their tickets tomorrow.

2. Student A: You are calling the New Theatre about the ballet on Friday and Saturday. Find out the cost of tickets and if they have any left. Book one seat on either Friday or Saturday if you can.

2. Student B: You are in the New Theatre box office. There are plenty of tickets for the ballet on Friday and Saturday. You have seats in the stalls at £3.50 and in the circle at 2.50. You do not take telephone bookings.

3. Student A: You are calling the Grand Theatre. You want tickets for the performance of "An­tony and Cleopatra" on Friday. (If not Friday, then Thursday). You want 4 seats together in the stalls. (If there are none in the stalls, then in the circle).

3. Student B: You are in the Grand Theatre box office. All tickets for the performance of "An­tony and Cleopatra" are sold out on Fri­day, but there are a few tickets left for Thursday. But you do not have four seats together, either in the stalls or in the circles.

Ex. 10 Read the Critics' Choice and, in small groups, discuss:

1. Which play would you prefer to see?

2. Which play would be most suitable for staging by your class?

3. Which play would be most likely to be a commercial success?