9 f Reading II term

British people don't go to the cinema as often as they did twenty or thirty years ago. There are still around 800 cinemas in the UK but tickets are expensive - around seven pounds for an adult ticket- and popcorn, ice cream and soft drinks can cost a lot of money too. In Ukraine, it's also easier to watch films at home on your own TV screen or online. Of course, this doesn't mean that British films are becoming less popular. Nowadays, actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale, Martin Freeman, Emma Watson are famous all over the world. In the last decade, three British films won the Best Picture award at the Oscars- invluding The King's in 2011.

Which is not true about the British cinematography?

Theatre in Britain has much longer history than cinema. The first plays were performed during the Roman Empire and William Shakespeare began writing for the stage in the 16th century. Many of his plays were first performed at the Globe Theatre, which was built in 1599. Unfortunately, it was pulled down in 1644 to make space for houses. In 1997, the Globe reopened and today you can watch plays like Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet in the open air every summer. You don't have to stay in London to see a Shakespeare play, however. You can also visit his birthplace, Strarford-upon-Avon, where the Royal Shakespeare Company regularly perform at the Swan Theatre.

What does the author say about William Shakespeare

Modern theatre is also extremely popular. Almost 15 million people watched plays and musicals at London's West End in 2013. West End shows are usually on as long as the people buy tickets to watch them so, for example, Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Cats was performed almost every evening for 21 years before it finally closed in 2002. More recent successes include the musical Billy Elliot, which was based on an award winning film, and the Curious Incident of thr Dog in the Night -Time. Every August, actors and performers go to Edinburgh in Scotland to take part in the International Festival there.

Which of the following is true about modern theatre in Britain?