A visit to a theatre in the West End – exercise 1

1. [Multiple choice]

Did Stephen Pollard enjoy seeing ‘Piaf’ in the West End?

Answers for Quiz [1].

• 1. Yes, he did.
• 2. No, he didn’t. (correct)

2. [Multiple choice]

Did he consider the show he went to see good value for money?

Answers for Quiz [2].

• 1. Yes, he certainly did.
• 2. No, he certainly did not. (correct)

3. [Multiple choice]

Was the standard of acting impressive?

(It was two-dimensional.
Two-dimensional – adj – superficial, lacking depth; having or appearing to have length and breadth but no depth.
We say three-dimensional for something which has all three dimensions mentioned above – eg a three-dimensional sculpture – or meaning lifelike, or real.)

Answers for Quiz [3].

• 1. Yes, it was.
• 2. No, it wasn’t. (correct)

4. [Multiple choice]

Was he angry about the low standard of the dialogue and the acting?

(He says that is a risk you take when you go to a play – (it is a gamble you take).)

Answers for Quiz [4].

• 1. Yes, he was.
• 2. No, he wasn’t. (correct)

5. [Multiple choice]

What was the foyer like when they arrived?

Answers for Quiz [5].

• 1. Extremely spacious.
• 2. Quite roomy.
• 3. Very crowded. (correct)
• 4. Really welcoming.
• 5. Recently refurbished.

6. [Multiple choice]

There was no need for people to be kept out of the auditorium until just before the play began.

Answers for Quiz [6].

• 1. No, there clearly wasn’t. (correct)
• 2. Yes, there was, but the reason only became clear at a later stage.
• 3. Yes, there was, but they should have been informed of it earlier than they were.

7. [Multiple choice]

What was the auditorium like when they walked in?

Answers for Quiz [7].

• 1. Pretty impressive.
• 2. Very smelly. (correct)
• 3. Airy and pleasant.
• 4. An architectural delight.
• 5. Beautifully furnished.

8. [Multiple choice]

What was Stephen Pollard’s wife’s opinion of the toilets?

Answers for Quiz [8].

• 1. They were rather smelly.
• 2. They were beautifully clean.
• 3. They were somewhat unhygienic.
• 4. They were very cramped. (correct)
• 5. They were like stepping back into the nineteenth century.

9. [Multiple choice]

An adult with a 12-inch waist is

(12 inches (12”) – a 12in waist is just under 30cms. Know anyone with a 12-in waist?)

Answers for Quiz [9].

• 1. non-existent. (correct)
• 2. thin.
• 3. rather slim.
• 4. an average size.
• 5. on the large side.
• 6. obese.

10. [Multiple choice]

The seats were unsuitable for anyone who needed a bit of legroom.

(legroom – space in which a seated person can put their legs. Eg to need a bit of legroom – to be a tall or long-legged person whoh cannot fit into too tight a space, for instance in a car or on a bus. The new cross-country trains don’t give you much legroom.
We also use the word ‘headroom’ for the amount of vertical space below a ceiling, roof, doorway, tunnel, or bridge; eg Our new car has lots of headroom. Next to a tunnel, bridge or in a carpark you sometimes see headroom – 15 feet (4.572m) – warning drivers of large vehicles their vehicles may be too high – they don’t have enough headroom / clearance.
Apart from legroom and headroom we only really use elbow room – to mean room or space to move or manoeuvre – “I’m a bit squashed here – can you give me a bit more elbow room?” ‘There wasn’t much elbow room in the coach.’ i.e. you couldn’t move around much.
idiomatic = freedom or leeway eg ‘The employees really don’t have much elbow room in which to explore new ideas.’

)

Answers for Quiz [10].

• 1. True. (correct)
• 2. Untrue.

11. [Multiple choice]

Theatre directors should be more considerate about their audience’s comfort than most seem to be.

(Sometimes we say ‘too true’ meaning we really agree with something, instead of ‘quite’ or ‘absolutely’. Eg “She’s taking a risk, leaving it this late before she goes for her train.” “Too true.” = “I completely agree with you.” or “Hear, hear.”)

Answers for Quiz [11].

• 1. Too true. (correct)
• 2. No, they shouldn’t.

12. [Multiple choice]

Tourists who are thinking of going to a show in the West End might have second thoughts after hearing this.

(In the blog triggered by this article people wrote in saying that tourists might soon be the only people who went to shows in the West End ‘because they were the only ones who knew no better’ – i.e. didn’t realise what the reality was / were not properly informed about the situation.
to have second thoughts – always plural – the process of having doubts or doubt or coming to a different conclusion through further consideration – eg She’s having second thoughts about this interview. He’s written to her with second thoughts about getting married. I’d planned to go on holiday with them, but on second thoughts I don’t think I will.
)

Answers for Quiz [12].

• 1. Yes, they might. (correct)
• 2. No, they wouldn’t.