Theatre Vocabulary Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on theatre and drama vocabulary: stage areas, performance roles, dramatic genres, technical terms and idioms from the world of theatre. B1 level.
Theatre Vocabulary — FAQ
A playwright writes scripts for the theatre — plays performed live on stage. A screenwriter writes scripts for films or television. The word 'playwright' uses the suffix '-wright', an old English word for a craftsperson (like a shipwright). Both roles involve writing dialogue and directions, but the medium and format are very different.
The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage between the actors and the audience. A traditional stage has three real walls and one open side facing the audience — the invisible 'fourth wall'. When an actor 'breaks the fourth wall', they speak directly to the audience, stepping outside the fictional world of the play. This technique is used for dramatic or comic effect.
A comedy is a play with a light-hearted tone that typically ends happily, often with marriages or the resolution of misunderstandings. A tragedy is a serious play in which the main character suffers a downfall — usually due to a fatal flaw — and typically ends in death or disaster. Both genres date back to ancient Greek theatre.
Stage areas are described from the actor's point of view (facing the audience): upstage (the back, away from the audience), downstage (the front, closest to the audience), stage left (the actor's left), and stage right (the actor's right). Centre stage is the middle. 'Wings' refers to the areas at the sides of the stage, hidden from the audience, where actors wait before making their entrance.
A dress rehearsal is the final full rehearsal of a play before opening night, performed exactly as the show will be in front of a real audience — with full costumes, make-up, lighting, sound effects and scenery. The saying 'it'll be all right on the night' is used to reassure performers after a poor dress rehearsal.
In theatre, to 'upstage' someone originally meant to move to the back of the stage, forcing another actor to turn their back to the audience to face them — weakening their performance. Today, 'to upstage someone' broadly means drawing attention away from another person and making them look less impressive by comparison. It is commonly used in everyday English.
A soliloquy is a speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage, revealing inner feelings to the audience. A monologue is a long speech by one person, but it can be addressed to other characters present on stage. Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be' in Hamlet is a famous soliloquy. A monologue can be part of a conversation where one person speaks at length.
Key backstage roles: director (oversees artistic vision), stage manager (coordinates all technical and backstage operations during a show), set designer (designs the scenery), lighting designer, sound designer, costume designer, make-up artist, props master (manages objects used on stage), and stagehand (moves scenery and equipment). 'The crew' refers collectively to all technical and backstage staff.
Literally, 'in the wings' refers to the areas at the sides of a theatre stage, out of the audience's sight, where actors wait before making their entrance. The expression is also used figuratively in everyday English to mean being ready and waiting for an opportunity, but not yet in a prominent position. For example: 'Several candidates are waiting in the wings to take over as manager.'
Many everyday expressions have theatrical origins: 'steal the show' (be the most impressive performer), 'in the spotlight' (receiving a lot of attention), 'play to the gallery' (try to win approval from the widest audience), 'behind the scenes' (happening in private), 'all the world's a stage' (from Shakespeare), 'break a leg' (a superstitious way to wish good luck before performing), and 'upstage someone' (draw attention away from them).