The theatre has always been very strong in Britain. Its center is, of course, London, where successful plays can sometimes run without a break for many years. But every large town in the country has its theatres. Even small towns often have «repertory» theatres, where different plays are performed for short periods by the same group of professional actors (a repertory company).
It seems that the theatrical play gives the undemonstrative British people a safe opportunity to look behind the mask of accepted social behavior. The country’s most successful and respected playwrights are usually those who explore the darker side of the personality and of personal relationship.
Theatrical drama, as we understand it today, is based on three things. First there must be an actor or actors speaking or singing. Second, there must be some dramatic conflict between actors. Third, and just as important as the other two, there must be audience following the progress of the drama. The first theatrical performances of this kind took place in ancient Greece.
Cinema is much younger than theatre. It was born at the end of the 19th century. The first people who showed the first movies to a paying public were the Lumiere Brothers of France. The first films showed moving people and transport or newsreels of processions and wars, and short comedies. In 1901 France was the first country to produce a dramatic film, The Story of Crime, which was followed by The Great Train Robbery in the USA in 1903.