1. Theatre around the world

2. The theatre of the British Isles entered the modern age with the arrival of Gilbert and Sullivan Their operettas led to the development of the modern theatrical musical

3. Notable names – George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion) – Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest) – Sir Lawrence Olivier – Sir John Gielgud – Peter Shaffer (Equus, Amadeus) – Dame Judy Dench – Kenneth Brannagh – Emma Thompson – Andrew Lloyd-Webber (Cats, The Phantom of the Opera) – Elton John

4. The West End of London has been that city’s theatre district dating back before Shakespeare’s day Several theatres, such as the Old Vic, the Barbican, and the Lyceum have become world famous “The Mousetrap” has played on the West End since 1952 – a record 24,000+ performances!

5. Edmond Rostand wrote Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897, revolutionizing the romantic comedy play Jean-Paul Sartre (No Exit) brought existentialism to theatre Samuel Beckett wrote absurdist plays like “Waiting for Godot” and “Endgame” “Les Miserables”, written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, became an international sensation

6. Russian actors and authors made great contributions to theatre in the 19 th and 20 th centuries Anton Chekhov introduced a new style of playwriting with “The Twelve Chairs” Konstatin Stanislavski created a method of research for actors

7. GERMANY – 20 th century expressionism has a great influence on mood and atmosphere Berthold Brecht (The Threepenny Opera) was one of the most visible practitioners of theatrical expressionism CZECH REPUBLIC – Karel Capec (R.U.R.) invented the term “robot”; popular early 20 th century Vaclav Havel was a playwright who later became president of the Czech Republic

8. ITALY – Luigi Pirandello used “Six Characters In Search of an Author” to explore the idea that people are not always who they appear to be NORWAY – Henrik Ibsen (A Doll’s House) brought realism to dialogue and characters

9. Chinese theatre dates back to AD 200, with choreographed rituals involving elaborate costumes, music, and gestures There has long been a link between Chinese theatre and the current political situation Dramas, especially at the Peking Opera, became heavily censored after the Revolution of 1949 After the Cultural Revolution ended, Chinese theatre became freer and flourished again

10. First performed in the 19 th century, Peking Opera combines history, drama, song, dance and ballet Stage settings are simple, but symbolic Symbolic colors and designs are used in makeup

11. The Japanese developed three forms of theatre during the medieval era: No, Bunraku, and Kabuki No theatre originated in the 14 th century, and combines words, dance and music to create a sort of musical It is broken into three parts, called the Jo-ha-kyu – Jo – the introduction – Ha – the body of the play – Kyu – the conclusion The ha can also be separated into a jo-ha-kyu Only men can perform in a No play

12. Bunraku (literally “doll theatre”) is a type of puppet theatre first done in the late 1600s Realistic 4-foot tall marionettes are maneuvered by teams of three puppeteers Kabuki became popular in the 17 th century Borrows from other drama styles Features characteristic makeup and costumes, demanding vocals, and elaborate sets