Association of British Scrabble Players

Culture > Arts & Crafts > Theatre


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


actable capable of being acted.
aside on or to one side; (noun) a comment by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not the other actors.
audition the act of hearng; (verb) to give a trial performance.
backdrop a backcloth; (verb) to provide with a scenic background.
backstage behind the scenes, unobserved by the public; (noun) the back area of a stage.
baignoire (Fr.) a theatre box on a level with the stalls.
baladin (Fr.) a (male) theatrical dancer.
baladine (Fr.) a (female) theatrical dancer.
balladin (Fr.) a (male) theatre dancer.
balladine a (female) theatre dancer.
barnstorm to tour country areas giving theatrical performances.
basoche (Fr.) a mediaeval guild of clerks of the parliament of Paris, performers of mystery plays.
boxkeeper an attendant at a theatre who has charge of the boxes.
buffa (Ital.) the comic actress in an opera > BUFFE or BUFFAS.
buffo (Ital.) the comic actor in an opera.
bunraku (Japanese) a form of puppet theater with large puppets.
byplay action subordinate to the main action, as in a play.
callboy a boy who calls actors when they are required on stage.
catchword among theatrical performers, the last word of the preceding speaker, which reminds one that he is to speak next.
chorus the combination of voices in one simultaneous utterance; (verb) to speak in chorus.
clapperboy the person who works the clapperboards.
claquer one of the claque employed to applaud at a theater.
claqueur (Fr.) one of the claque employed to applaud at a theater.
comique (Fr.) a comic actor or singer.
continuity a script or scenario in the performing arts.
corpse a dead, usually human body; (verb) of an actor, to forget one's lines.
decor (Fr.) scenery and stage embellishments; a general decorative effect.
derig to dismantle and remove esp theatre equipment.
downstage the front of a stage.
dramaturg a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company.
dramaturge a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company.
dramaturgist a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company.
dumbshow gesture without words; pantomime.
encore (Fr.) again; (noun) a repeat performance; (verb) to give a repeat performance.
epitaxis the part of a play in which the main action develops.
fantoccini (Ital.) mechanically worked puppets used in street theatre.
farcer a writer of farces.
farceur (Fr.) a writer of farces.
farceuse (Fr.) a (female) writer of farces.
feerie a theatrical extravaganza.
footlight one of a row of lights along the front of a theatre stage.
galanty as in galanty show, a pantomime shadow play, esp one in miniature using cutout figures from paper.
galleryite a person who frequents the gallery in the theatre.
gracioso (Spanish) a clown in a Spanish comedy.
greasepaint a melted tallow or grease used in theater makeup.
guisard a person in disguise; a masker; a mummer.
guiser a person in disguise; a masker; a mummer.
guizer a mummer.
ham the thigh of an animal, esp of a pig salted and dried; a bad actor (verb) to overact, exaggerate
hambone to overact.
hamfatter a third-rate minstrel or variety actor; (verb) to perform as a third-rate minstrel.
hammily (Adv.) HAMMY, overacted.
hamminess the quality of being hammy, overacted.
hammy overacted.
histrio (Arch.) an actor.
histrion (Arch.) an actor.
histrionic relating to the stage or actors.
histrionical relating to the stage or actors.
histrionically (Adv.) HISTRIONICAL, relating to the stage or actors.
histrionicism acting, theatricality.
histrionics playacting; stagy action or speech.
histrionism acting, theatricality.
hoke hokum (verb) to overact a part in a play
improv (Coll.) improvisational comedy.
interlude an interval between acts of a play, etc; (verb) to write or perform a dramatic interlude.
interludial relating to an interlude.
loquitur (Lat.) 'He (or she) says', used with a person's name as a stage direction.
mainstage the stage of the principal theatre operated by a theatrical company, usually the one on which major works are performed.
marionette (Fr.) a puppet moved by strings, as in a puppet show.
matinee (Fr.) an afternoon performance at a theatre, cinema, or concert hall.
mummer an actor in a folk play, a mimer; (verb) to take part in mumming activities.
offstage a part of a stage not visible to an audience.
onstage of an actor, on the stage.
outact to surpass in acting.
overact to act with exaggeration.
overpart to give too important or difficult a part to eg in a play.
panto (Short for) pantomime.
parascenium in the Greek theatre, a wing, a side-scene.
periaktos (Greek) in the ancient Greek theatre, a tall revolving prism at the side of the stage, projecting a variety of backdrops.
pierrot (Fr.) a comic character in French pantomime, dressed in a floppy white suit.
pittite (Obs.) someone who frequents the pit of a theatre.
playdate the scheduled date for showing a theatrical production.
playgoer one who attends the theatre.
playgoing the practice of visiting the theatre.
playmaking the process of making a play.
playreader one who reads over the script of a play.
plumper a pad kept in the mouth to round the cheeks, used by actors.
premiere (Fr.) the first performance of a play or film; (verb) to present or perform (a play, film, etc.) for the first time.
prolog a prologue; (verb) to provide a play etc. with a prologue.
prologise to speak a prolog.
prologize to speak a prolog.
prologue an introduction; (verb) to provide a play etc. with a prologue.
promptbook a copy of a play for a prompter.
propman a man in charge of stage properties.
puppeteer one who operates a puppet; (verb) to operate a puppet.
restage to stage again.
revue (Fr.) a loosely constructed theatrical show.
revuist one who takes part in a revue.
sceneman the man who manages the movable scenes in a theater.
scruto a stage trap door.
semichorus half, or part of, a chorus; a passage sung by it.
soliloquy an act of talking to oneself; a speech of this nature made by a character in a play, etc.
stageable that can be staged.
stagecraft the effective management of theatrical devices or techniques.
stagery exhibition on the stage.
stagey savouring of the stage, acted, assumed.
stagily (Adv.) STAGY, savouring of the stage, acted, assumed.
staginess being stagy, theatrical.
stagy savouring of the stage, acted, assumed.
stichomythia dialogue in alternate lines.
stichomythic relating to stichomythia.
stichomythy dialogue in alternate lines.
strawhat of or relating to summer theatre.
supernumerary above the stated, usual or necessary number; (noun) an actor without a speaking part.
theatral of or pertaining to a theatre.
theatregoer one who habitually visits the theatre.
theatric relating to or suitable for the stage.
theatricality the state of being theatrical.
theatricalize to adapt to the theater.
theatrically (Adv.) THEATRICAL, of or pertaining to a theater.
theatricise to play a part.
theatricize to play a part.
theatrics the activity of a theatrical character.
thermochemist one who studies thermochemistry.
thesp (Short for) a thespian, a member of the acting profession.
thespian a member of the acting profession.
tragedienne (Fr.) a female tragic actor.
tragedy a disastrous event.
tragic very sad (noun) the element of the drama that produces tragedy
tragical relating to tragedy.
tragically (Adv.) TRAGIC.
tragicalness the state of being tragical.
typecast to cast continually for the same kind of part.
unactorish not like an actor.
underplot a series of events in a play, proceeding collaterally with the main story, and subservient to it.
upstage to divert attention from (another person) to oneself, to outshine.
wayang (Javanese) a type of Indonesian theatre featuring puppets or human dancers.
woman a female (verb) to play the part of a woman