Categories: Quiz

Quiz: How well do you know your theatre terminology?

Are you up with all the ‘theatrical lingo’?

Take our quiz to see how well you know your ghost light from your spot light and your chickens from your chookas.

Leave a comment to let us know how you go!

Q 1. What is a Dry Tech?

A type of costume that draws sweat away from the skin

A technical rehearsal without performers

A rehearsal with out any alcohol

A technical rehearsal with out sound

Q 2. How long before the start of a show is the Five Minute Call?

Fifteen Minutes

Five Minutes

Ten Minutes

Two Minutes

Q 3. What would be referred to as cans?

Something your soup comes in

Hairspray

Part of the ensemble girls’ anatomy

Headphones

Q 4. If an actor is said to have 'corpsed' they have...

Forgotten their lines

Previously played a dead character

Frozen with stage fright

Burst into laughter

Q 5. In a theatre, what is know as the Rag?

The red carpet at opening night

The stage curtain

The towel a performer keeps on the side of the stage

The newspaper with reviews of the show

Q 6. Where is Prompt Side in a theatre?

Stage left

Stage right

Where the professional line prompter sits

The stage management office

Q 7. An actor is said to be 'Off Book' if they...

Are drunk. "Wow James was totally off book at the pub last night".

Know their lines with out looking at a script

Are being paid cash in hand

Improvising instead of following the script

Q 8. What is a Sitzprobe?

A rehearsal with the orchestra and performers specifically focussed on the music

Part of the audition process

An early rehearsal used to probe into the situations explored in the show

A debrief conducted after the final performance of a show

Q 9. What is a Triple Threat?

A performer who can Act, Sing and Dance

A day with three performances

A rare disease that only affects singers

A theatrical device used to confuse the audience, particularly in a thriller

Q 10. Which play is know at 'The Scottish Play'?

Train Spotting

King Lear

Macbeth

Hamlet

Q 11. It is bad luck to whistle in a theatre. Why?

The sound frequency travels a long way and can be heard clearly on stage

Everybody finds whistling annoying!

Traditionally whistling was used as a signal to start a scene change

Sopranos can become annoyed if they are not the highest sound in the building

Q 12. What is the traditional way of wishing an actor good luck in Australia?

Into the mouth of the wolf

Break a leg

Chookas

Try not to stuff it up... this time!

Q 13. What is a Ghost Light?

A light that is left on stage turned on when the theatre is dark

A bright spotlight that makes an actor look ghostly white

The light that hangs above stage door

A light that produces a large shadow behind an actor

Theatrical Know-It-All

Congratulations! You know your way around a theatre and would be more than comfortable propping up the bar at a Thirsty Thursdays.

You're a Leading Player!

You've definitely stood at stage door to meet one of your favourite performers at least once and have belted out Nessun Dorma / recited Shakespeare to unsuspecting relatives / practiced your bevel at SOME point in your life.

I did a little theatre, once...

You did a musical once at uni, because you had a crush on that person you say next to in Stats and they were doing it.

They turned out to be way too theatrical!

Theatrical what?

Did you find this quiz by mistake? Maybe you should head over to our forums and ask for some help.

AussieTheatre

Share
Published by
AussieTheatre

Recent Posts

HEATED RIVALRY parody producers report recoupment as run extends to January 2027

Producers say HEATED RIVALRY: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY has recouped its approximately US$500,000 Off-Broadway capitalisation…

20 hours ago

Broadway’s &JULIET sets final performance for January 2027

Broadway's & JULIET will play its final performance at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on 3…

20 hours ago

Gate Theatre to cease operations after 47 years

London’s Gate Theatre will cease operations at the end of October 2026 after 47 years,…

2 days ago

Arts Centre Melbourne to present landmark visual opera OPERATION:ORFEO

Arts Centre Melbourne today announced that OPERATION:ORFEO, a hypnotic depiction of the myth of Orpheus…

2 days ago

ROHTKO, Operation:Orfeo and The Avalanches announced as first events for Perth Festival 2027

Perth Festival today revealed that its 2027 program will open with the Australian exclusive season…

2 days ago

MJ THE MICHAEL JACKSON MUSICAL to play in Singapore from August 2027

Original Broadway Producers Lia Vollack and John Branca, alongside Michael Cassel and Base Entertainment Asia,…

2 days ago