Theatres in Great Britain Britain has a long tradition of drama. British theater began in the 13th century, before Shakespeare, with a series of short stories from the Bible called The Mystery Plays. Even today, every 4 years in York and Chester, ordinary people still perform these plays in the open air. The most famous playwrights of the 19th century were two Dubliners: Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. Oscar Wilde wrote satirical comedies and was a master of aphoristic jokes. Unlike him, G.B. Shaw wrote problem plays about history, politics and society. He was greatly influenced by A. Chekhov and believed that plays must discuss a problem. The best-known contemporary composer of musicals is Andrew Lloyed Webber. His longest- running musical is Cats which is always played to full houses. Another romantic and mysterious musical by A.L. Webber is The Phantom of the Opera. It is based on a horror novel and also has a popular film version. Among most popular London theaters are The Theater Royal / Drury Lane and The Royal Opera House / Covent Garden. The Theater Royal is famous for musicals; it was founded in 1663 and named so after the street that runs behind it. A great English actor of the 18th century, David Garrick performed here. The Royal Opera House is situated near the former site of the Covent Garden Market in central London. The present building was opened in 1853 and is now home to two companies, the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet. The theater presents classical productions, often with international stars. Seats are expensive, the top price for opera is £100 and for ballet – £37. The South Bank of the Thames is the center of Britain’s cultural life. It is the complex of theaters, concert halls and galleries. The National Theater stages both classical and modern drama producing 7-8 plays each season. It has three theaters under one roof with the largest of them, the Olivier Theater, named so in honor of a fine stage and film actor, manager and producer – Lawrence Olivier. Another famous South Bank theater is the Barbican – the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It has up to 1,166 seats and offers best Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies.