Updated Script

This is the updated voice-over for the history of theatre, part of our news package.

The word theatre means a “place for seeing,” it originated in Ancient Greece some 5000 years back. But theatre is more than just a building where plays are performed.  Since its birth, theatre has taken many forms that involve dance, gestures, and pantomime combined with various other performing arts to portray a single artistic form.

The beginning of the twentieth century saw the introduction of a new component – the cinema. It was so popular that new or refurbished theatres often included provision for screening films.  But In 1976, the Theatres Trust Act was passed. It was a way  to protect theatres and theatre use. And in 1994, with the creation of the National Lottery.  funding for the Arts has helped in educating and influencing the new generation on theatre and its importance to London’s culture as we now see live performances not only on the stage but all around us.


Over recent years, cinema ticket prices have risen, being a pound more expensive than in 2000, not including modern technological formats such as the IMAX or 3D technology. Whilst theatre price tickets are at an average of £47, reaching its highest attendance ever during the summer of 3.8 million theatre goers

Courtesy of Joycelyn and James