Audience and its reaction

theatre-goer (lover): well/ill-bred, competent, regular, (un)educated

audience (public): responsive, thinking, arrogant, self-assured, able to appreciate, restrained, reserved

applaud - to indicate approval by hand-clapping or otherwise

applaud to the echo

bad laugh - an audience's laugh at the wrong moment

be completely carried away by the acting

be held spellbound

be irritated, annoyed, driven to despair, disappointed

be well / favourably / enthusiastically / poorly received

be given (have) a good / poor/ cool reception

bring the audience to their feet; to bring down the house; to take the house by storm - to gain the enthusiastic approval of the audience

burst into a storm of applause

curtain call - the appearance of an actor, or actors, at the end of the performance or an act in response to applause after the fall of the curtain. Hence to take (receive) a (curtain) call; to take the curtain; to call before the curtain

die standing up - to act without getting applause. E. g. He died standing up.

encore (meaning 'again!') - a call of summons by an audience, by shouting, applause, etc., for the appearance of the performers; to take an encore - to perform an encore

Gallery Gods; the Gods - the people in the topmost gallery or balcony; the gallery itself, as in We sat in the gods

get the bird - to be jeered by the audience for one's acting (also to get the raspberry)

handcuffed - said of an audience which does not applaud. E. g. They seem to be handcuffed.

sit on one's hands - to give little or no applause

Box office and tickets

admission - the charge made for a theatre ticket (also admission fee, admission price)

advance booking - a reservation

book v to buy a theatre ticket, as, to book a seat

box office

buy a ticket outside the theatre - купить билет с pук

clean house - a performance for which all tickets have been sold

complimentary ticket - a free ticket; such tickets are given, for example to theatre critics of newspapers

dead wood - the tickets for the given performance which have not been sold, when the box-office sale stops

house seats - are those kept for the leading actors to invite anyone they wish to the performance

returns - tickets returned, or ordered tickets not collected

standing ticket / room

ticket agency

ticket for the theatre (a matinee, a performance)

The House is sold out.

put a “Sold Out” / “Full House” sign

SEATS

command a view - to have a clear sight

e. g. I have a seat which commands a good view of the stage.

gangway seats

in the front row of the dress circle

in the back row of ...

in the stalls / the pit / the dress circle / the upper circle or on the balcony / the gallery

ACTORS AND ACTING

bit - a very minor speaking or silent role. Hence, a bit actor, a bit part

breeches part - a male role performed by an actress

cast - the characters in a dramatic composition; to be in the cast, an all -star cast, the second cast

cast list - a roster showing the parts played by the actors in a dramatic production

character part - an acting role calling for emphasis on the characteristic peculiarities of a type (as, the amorous old man, the shrewish woman)

fat part - a role sure to succeed and thus offering an actor an easy opportunity

leading lady

leading part

learn one's part

lines - the words which the actors have to speak when they are on the stage

look one's part - to resemble physically the character one is playing

male/female lead / part

play the lead

main part

name part - the role of the character from whose name a dramatic composition takes its title (also title role)

speaking part

supporting part

thinking part - a role without lines

top one's part - to perform one's part excellently

walking-on part - a part without lines

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be in top form

display marvels of artistic transformation

grow into the part

overact

perform brilliantly from start to finish