Michael Billington: A greasepaint glossary
The Old Vic, we read, is "going dark" for the summer: a far more expressive phrase than being "shut", since it implies the temporary extinction of light. But it's also a potent reminder that the theatre is awash with jargon. So too, no doubt, are plumbing and book-binding. But the paradox of the theatre is that it's a highly public art with its own linguistic freemasonry.The acting profession, in particular, cultivat…