Royal National Theatre of Great Britain (2024)

The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT) within the UK and as the National Theatre of Great Britain internationally, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in (London), England. The theatre was founded by the actor (Laurence Olivier) in 1963, and (many well-known actors) have performed with it since.

National Theatre

The National Theatre from (Waterloo Bridge)
National Theatre Location within Central London
Former names	National Theatre Company (while based at the (Old Vic) from 1963)
Address	Upper Ground, (South Bank) (London) England
(Coordinates)	51°30′26″N 0°06′51″W / 51.5071°N 0.1141°W
Public transit	(Waterloo) (Waterloo) (Waterloo East)
Designation	(Grade II*)
Type	(National theatre)
(Capacity)	Olivier Theatre: 1,160 seats Lyttelton Theatre: 890 seats Dorfman Theatre: 400 seats
Construction
Opened	1976; 48years ago (building)
Architect	(Denys Lasdun) Peter Softley
Website
nationaltheatre.org.uk

The company was based at (The Old Vic) theatre in (Waterloo) until 1976. The current building is located next to the Thames in the (South Bank) area of central London. In addition to performances at the National Theatre building, the National Theatre tours productions at theatres across the United Kingdom. The theatre has transferred numerous productions to Broadway and toured some as far as China, Australia and New Zealand. However, touring productions to European cities was suspended in February 2021 over concerns about uncertainty over work permits, additional costs and delays because of (Brexit). Permission to add the "Royal" prefix to the name of the theatre was given in 1988, but the full title is rarely used. The theatre presents a varied programme, including Shakespeare, other international classic drama, and new plays by contemporary playwrights. Each auditorium in the theatre can run up to three shows in (repertoire), thus further widening the number of plays which can be put on during any one season. However, the post-2020 covid repertoire model became straight runs, required by the imperatives of greater resource efficiency and financial constraint coupled with the preference (and competition for the availability) of creatives working across stage and screen, thus bringing it in line with that of most theatres.

In June 2009, the theatre began (National Theatre Live) (NT Live), a programme of simulcasts of live productions to cinemas, first in the United Kingdom and then internationally. The programme began with a production of (Phèdre), starring (Helen Mirren), which was screened live in 70 cinemas across the UK. NT Live productions have since been broadcast to over 2,500 venues in 60 countries around the world. In November 2020, National Theatre at Home, a (video on demand) streaming service, specifically created for National Theatre Live recordings, was introduced. Videos of plays are added every month, and can be "rented" for temporary viewing, or unlimited recordings can be watched through a monthly or yearly subscription programme.

The NT had an annual turnover of approximately £105million in 2015–16, of which earned income made up 75% (58% from ticket sales, 5% from NT Live and Digital, and 12% from commercial revenue such as in the restaurants, bars, bookshop, etc.). Support from (Arts Council England) provided 17% of income, 1% from Learning and Participation activity, and the remaining 9% came from a mixture of companies, individuals, trusts and foundations.

In 1847, a critic using the pseudonym Dramaticus published a pamphlet describing the parlous state of British theatre. Production of serious plays was restricted to the (patent theatres), and new plays were subjected to censorship by the (Lord Chamberlain's Office). At the same time, there was a burgeoning theatre sector featuring a diet of low (melodrama) and musical (burlesque); but critics described British theatre as driven by commercialism and a "star" system. There was a demand to commemorate serious theatre, with the "Shakespeare Committee" purchasing the playwright's birthplace for the nation demonstrating a recognition of the importance of "serious drama". The following year saw more pamphlets on a demand for a National Theatre from London publisher Effingham William Wilson. The situation continued, with a renewed call every decade for a National Theatre. Attention was aroused in 1879 when the (Comédie-Française) took a residency at the (Gaiety Theatre), described in (The Times) as representing "the highest aristocracy of the theatre". The principal demands now coalesced around: a structure in the capital that would form a permanent memorial to Shakespeare; an "exemplary theatre" company producing at the highest level of quality; and a centre from which appreciation of great drama could be spread as part of education throughout the country.

The (Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) was opened in (Stratford upon Avon) on 23 April 1879, with the New Shakespeare Company (now the Royal Shakespeare Company, RSC); then (Herbert Beerbohm Tree) founded an (Academy of Dramatic Art) at (Her Majesty's Theatre) in 1904. This still left the capital without a national theatre. A London Shakespeare League was founded in 1902 to develop a Shakespeare National Theatre and – with the impending tercentenary in 1916 of his death – in 1913 purchased land for a theatre in (Bloomsbury). This work was interrupted by World War I.

In 1910, (George Bernard Shaw) wrote a short comedy, (The Dark Lady of the Sonnets), in which (Shakespeare) himself attempts to persuade (Elizabeth I) of the necessity of building a National Theatre to stage his plays. The play was part of the long-term campaign to build a National Theatre.

National Theatre Act 1949
Act of Parliament
(Parliament of the United Kingdom)
(Long title)	An Act to authorise the Treasury to contribute towards the cost of a national theatre, and for purposes connected therewith.
(Citation)	. c. 16
Dates
(Royal assent)	9 March 1949
(Commencement)	9 March 1949
Other legislation
Amended by	National Theatre Act 1949 (Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2013)
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Theatre Act 1949 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from (legislation.gov.uk).

National Theatre Act 1974
Act of Parliament
(Parliament of the United Kingdom)
(Long title)	An Act to remove the limits imposed by the National Theatre Act 1949 on the contributions which may be made under that Act towards the cost of erecting and equipping a national theatre.
(Citation)	(1974) c. 55
Dates
(Royal assent)	29 November 1974
Other legislation
Amends	National Theatre Act 1949
(Repealed by)	(Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2013)
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Finally, in 1948, the (London County Council) (LCC) presented a site close to the (Royal Festival Hall) for the purpose, so the National Theatre Act 1949, offering financial support, was passed by (Parliament). Ten years after the foundation stone had been laid in 1951, the government declared that the nation could not afford a National Theatre; in response, the LCC offered to waive any rent and pay half the construction costs. The government still tried to apply unacceptable conditions to save money, attempting to force the amalgamation of the existing publicly supported companies: the RSC, (Sadler's Wells) and (Old Vic).

Following some initial inspirational steps taken with the opening of the (Chichester Festival Theatre) in (Chichester) in June 1962, the developments in London proceeded. In July 1962, with agreements finally reached, a board was set up to supervise construction, and a separate board was constituted to run a National Theatre Company, which would lease the Old Vic theatre in the interim. The "National Theatre Company" opened on 22 October 1963 with (Hamlet), starring (Peter O'Toole) in the title role. The company was founded by (Laurence Olivier), who became the first artistic director of the company. As fellow directors, he enlisted (William Gaskill) and (John Dexter). Among the first ensemble of actors of the company were (Robert Stephens), (Maggie Smith), (Joan Plowright), (Michael Gambon), (Derek Jacobi), (Lynn Redgrave), (Michael Redgrave), (Colin Blakely) and (Frank Finlay).

Meanwhile, construction of the permanent theatre proceeded with a design by (architects) Sir (Denys Lasdun) and Peter Softley and structural engineers containing three stages, which opened individually between 1976 and 1977. The construction work was carried out by (Sir Robert McAlpine).

The Company remained at the Old Vic until 1977, when construction of the Olivier was complete.

Theatres

The National Theatre building houses three separate theatres. Additionally, a temporary structure was added in April 2013 and closed in May 2016.

Olivier Theatre

Named after the theatre's first artistic director, (Laurence Olivier), this is the main auditorium. Modelled on the (Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus), it has an open stage and a fan-shaped audience seating area for 1160 people. A "drum revolve" (a five-storey revolving stage section) extends eight metres beneath the stage and is operated by a single staff member. The drum has two rim revolves and two platforms, each of which can carry ten tonnes, facilitating dramatic and fluid scenery changes. Its design ensures that the audience's view is not blocked from any seat, and that the audience is fully visible to actors from the stage's centre. Designed in the 1970s and a prototype of current technology, the drum revolve and a multiple "sky hook" flying system were initially very controversial and required ten years to commission, but seem to have fulfilled the objective of functionality with high productivity.

Lyttelton Theatre

Named after (Oliver Lyttelton), the National Theatre's first board chairman, it has a (proscenium arch) design and can accommodate an audience of 890.

Dorfman Theatre

Named after (Lloyd Dorfman) (philanthropist and chairman of (Travelex Group)), the Dorfman is "the smallest, the barest and the most potentially flexible of the National Theatre houses . . . a dark-walled room" with an audience capacity of 400. It was formerly known as the Cottesloe Theatre (named after (Lord Cottesloe), Chairman of the South Bank Theatre Board), a name which ceased to be used with the theatre's closure under the National's NT Future redevelopment.

The enhanced theatre reopened in September 2014 under its new name.

Temporary Theatre

The Temporary Theatre, formerly called The Shed, was a 225-seat black box theatre which opened in April 2013 and featured new works; it closed in May 2016, following the refurbishment of the Dorfman Theatre.

In 2015 British artist (Carl Randall) painted a portrait of actress (Katie Leung) standing in front of The Shed as part of the artist's "London Portraits" series, where he asked various cultural figures to choose a place in London for the backdrop of their portraits. Leung explained she chose The Shed as her backdrop because she performed there in the 2013 play The World of Extreme Happiness, and also because "... it's a temporary theatre, it's not permanent, and I wanted to make it permanent in the portrait".

Architecture

The style of the National Theatre building was described by architecture historian (Mark Girouard) as "an aesthetic of broken forms" at the time of opening. Architectural opinion was split at the time of construction. Even enthusiastic advocates of the (Modern Movement) such as (Nikolaus Pevsner) found the (Béton brut) RAAC concrete both inside and out overbearing. Most notoriously, the future (Charles III) described the building in 1988 as "a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting". (John Betjeman), a man not noted for his enthusiasm for (brutalist) architecture, wrote to Lasdun stating ironically that he "gasped with delight at the cube of your theatre in the pale blue sky and a glimpse of St Paul's to the south of it. It is a lovely work and so good from so many angles...it has that inevitable and finished look that great work does."

Despite the controversy, the theatre has been a Grade II* (listed building) since 1994. Although the theatre is often cited as an archetype of (Brutalist) architecture in England, since Lasdun's death the building has been re-evaluated as having closer links to the work of (Le Corbusier), rather than contemporary monumental 1960s buildings such as those of (Paul Rudolph). The carefully refined balance between horizontal and vertical elements in Lasdun's building has been contrasted favourably with the lumpiness of neighbouring buildings such as the (Hayward Gallery) and (Queen Elizabeth Hall). It is now in the unusual situation of having appeared simultaneously in the top ten "most popular" and "most hated" London buildings in opinion surveys. A recent lighting scheme illuminating the exterior of the building, in particular the (fly towers), has proved very popular, and is one of several positive artistic responses to the building. A key intended viewing axis is from (Waterloo Bridge) at 45 degrees head on to the fly tower of the Olivier Theatre (the largest and highest element of the building) and the steps from ground level. This view is largely obscured now by mature trees along the riverside walk but it can be seen in a more limited way at ground level.

Foyers and interior spaces

The National Theatre's foyers are open to the public, with a large theatrical bookshop, restaurants, bars and exhibition spaces. The terraces and foyers of the theatre complex have also been used for ad hoc, short seasonal and experimental performances and screenings. The riverside forecourt of the theatre is used for regular season of open-air performances in the summer months.

The Clore Learning Centre is a new dedicated space for learning at the National Theatre. It offers events and courses for all ages, exploring theatre-making from playwriting to technical skills, often led by the NT's own artists and staff. One of its spaces is The Cottesloe Room, so called in recognition of the original name of the adjacent theatre.

The dressing rooms for all actors are arranged around an internal light-well and air-shaft and so their windows each face each other. This arrangement has led to a tradition whereby, on the opening night (known as "Press Night") and closing night of any individual play, when called to go to "beginners" (opening positions), the actors will go to the window and drum on the glass with the palms of their hands.

Backstage tours run throughout the day and the Sherling High Level Walkway, open daily until 7.30pm, offers visitors views into the backstage production workshops for set construction and assembly, scenic painting and prop-making.

2013 saw the commencement of the "NT Future" project; a redevelopment of the National Theatre complex which it was estimated would cost about £80 million.

The Studio building across the road from the (Old Vic) on The Cut in Waterloo. The Studio used to house the NT's workshops, but became the National's research and development wing in 1984. The Studio building houses the New Work Department, the Archive, and the NT's Immersive Storytelling Studio.

The Studio is a Grade II listed building designed by architects Lyons Israel Ellis. Completed in 1958, the building was refurbished by architects (Haworth Tompkins) and reopened in autumn 2007.

The National Theatre Studio was founded in 1985 under the directorship of (Peter Gill), who ran it until 1990. Laura Collier became Head of the Studio in November 2011, replacing Purni Morrell who headed the Studio from 2006. Following the merge of the Studio and the Literary Department under the leadership of Rufus Norris, Emily McLaughlin became the Head of New Work in 2015.

National Theatre Live is an initiative which broadcasts performances of their productions (and from other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world. It began in June 2009 with (Helen Mirren) in (Jean Racine)'s Phedre, directed by (Nicholas Hytner), in the Lyttelton Theatre.

The third season of broadcasts launched on 15 September 2011 with (One Man, Two Guvnors) with (James Corden). This was followed by (Arnold Wesker)'s The Kitchen. The final broadcast of 2011 was (John Hodge)'s (Collaborators) with (Simon Russell Beale). In 2012 (Nicholas Wright)'s play Travelling Light was broadcast on 9 February, followed by (The Comedy of Errors) with (Lenny Henry) on 1 March and (She Stoops to Conquer) with (Katherine Kelly), (Steve Pemberton) and (Sophie Thompson) on 29 March.

(One Man, Two Guvnors) returned to cinema screens in the United States, Canada and Australia for a limited season in Spring 2012. (Danny Boyle)'s (Frankenstein) also returned to cinema screens worldwide for a limited season in June and July 2012.

The fourth season of broadcasts commenced on Thursday 6 September 2012 with (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), a play based on the international best-selling novel by (Mark Haddon). This was followed by The Last of the Haussmans, a new play by Stephen Beresford starring (Julie Walters), (Rory Kinnear) and (Helen McCrory) on 11 October 2012. (William Shakespeare)'s (Timon of Athens) followed on 1 November 2012 starring (Simon Russell Beale) as Timon. On 17 January 2013, NT Live broadcast (Arthur Wing Pinero)'s (The Magistrate), with (John Lithgow).

The performances to be filmed and broadcast are nominated in advance, allowing planned movement of cameras with greater freedom in the auditorium.

National Theatre Connections

National Theatre Connections is the annual nationwide youth theatre festival run by the National Theatre. The festival was founded in 1995, and features ten new plays for young people written by leading playwrights. Productions are staged by schools and youth groups at their schools and community centres, and at local professional theatre hubs. One of the productions of each play is invited to perform in a final festival at the National Theatre, usually in the Olivier Theatre and Dorfman Theatre.

National Theatre Collection

The National Theatre Collection (formerly called On Demand. In Schools) is the National Theatre's free production streaming service for educational establishments worldwide, which is free to UK state schools. The service is designed for use by teachers and educators in the classroom, and features recordings of curriculum-linked productions filmed in high definition in front of a live audience.

The service was launched initially to UK secondary schools in 2015 with productions for Key Stage 3 pupils and above. In November 2016, the National Theatre launched to service to UK primary schools, adding a number of new titles for Key Stage 2. Productions currently offered by the service include Frankenstein (directed by (Danny Boyle), starring (Benedict Cumberbatch) and (Jonny Lee Miller)), Othello (directed by (Nicholas Hytner), starting (Adrian Lester) and (Rory Kinnear)), Antigone (directed by (Polly Findlay), starring (Christopher Eccleston) and (Jodie Whittaker)), and Jane Eyre (directed by Sally Cookson).

In 2018, the National Theatre reported that over half of UK state secondary schools have registered to use the service. On Demand. In Schools won the 2018 Bett Award for Free Digital Content or Open Educational Resources.

In March 2020, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the National Theatre Collection was made available for pupils and teachers to access at home to aid blended learning programmes. In April 2020, six new titles were added to the service to bring the total up to 30 productions. These include (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) (directed by Benedict Andrews for the (Young Vic), starring (Sienna Miller) and (Jack O'Connell)) and Small Island (directed by Rufus Norris for the National Theatre).

Public Acts

Public Acts is a community participation programme from the National Theatre working with theatres and community organisations across the UK to create large-scale new work. The first Public Acts production was (Pericles) in August 2018, at the National Theatre, in the Olivier Theatre. The Guardian described this as 'a richly sung version with brilliant performances from a cast of hundreds.' The second production was As You Like It performed in August 2019 at the (Queen's Theatre), Hornchurch.

Since 2019, Public Acts has been working on a third production in Doncaster in partnership with Cast and six local community partners. The new adaptation of (The Caucasian Chalk Circle) was originally planned for 2020 but has been postponed, due to COVID-19.

In December 2020, in partnership with The Guardian, Public Acts released an online musical called We Begin Again by (James Graham) ((Quiz)) as a music video and a standalone track released by Broadway Records.

River Stage

River Stage is the National Theatre's free outdoor summer festival that place over five weekends outside the National Theatre in its north-east cornersquare. It is accompanied by a number of additional street food stalls and bars run by the NT.

The event features programmes developed by various companies for the first four weekends, with the National Theatre itself programming the fifth weekend. Participating organisations have included , (HOME Manchester), (Sadler's Wells), (nonclassical), (WOMAD), (Latitude Festival), Bristol's (Mayfest) and (Rambert). The festival launched in 2015 and is produced by Fran Miller.

Watch This Space

The annual "Watch This Space" festival was a free summer-long celebration of outdoor theatre, circus and dance, which was replaced in 2015 by the River Stage festival.

"Watch This Space" featured events for all ages, including workshops and classes for children and adults. "Watch This Space" had a strong national and international relationships with leading and emerging companies working in many different aspects of the outdoor arts sector. Significant collaborators and regular visitors included Teatr Biuro Podrozy, The Whalley Range All Stars, Home Live Art, Addictive TV, Men in Coats, Upswing, Circus Space, Les Grooms, StopGAP Dance Theatre, metro-boulot-dodo, Avanti Display, The Gandinis, Abigail Collins, The World-famous, Ida Barr (Christopher Green), Motionhouse, Mat Ricardo, The Insect Circus, Bängditos Theater, Mimbre, Company FZ, WildWorks, Bash Street Theatre, Markeline, The Chipolatas, The Caravan Gallery, Sienta la Cabeza, Theatre Tuig, Producciones Imperdibles and Mario Queen of the Circus.

The festival was set up by its first producer (Jonathan Holloway), who was succeeded in 2005 by Angus MacKechnie.

Whilst the Theatre Square space was occupied by the Temporary Theatre during the NT Future redevelopment, the "Watch This Space" festival was suspended. but held a small number of events in nearby local spaces. In 2013 the National announced that there would be a small summer festival entitled "August Outdoors" in Theatre Square. Playing Fridays and Saturdays only, the programme included The Sneakers and The Streetlights by Half Human Theatre, The Thinker by Stuff & Things, H2H by Joli Vyann, Screeving by Urban Canvas, Pigeon Poo People by The Natural Theatre Company, Capses by Laitrum, Bang On!, Caravania! by The Bone Ensemble, The Hot Potato Syncopators, Total Eclipse of the Head by Ella Good and Nicki Kent, The Caravan Gallery, Curious Curios by Kazzum Theatre and The Preeners by Canopy.

• (Sir Laurence Olivier) (1963–1973)
• (Sir Peter Hall) (1973–1988)
• (Sir Richard Eyre) (1988–1997)
• (Sir Trevor Nunn) (1997–2003)
• (Sir Nicholas Hytner) (2003–2015)
• (Rufus Norris) (2015–2025)

(Laurence Olivier) became artistic director of the National Theatre at its formation in 1963. He was considered the foremost British film and stage actor of the period, and became the first director of the (Chichester Festival Theatre) – there forming the company that would unite with the Old Vic Company to form the National Theatre Company. In addition to directing, he continued to appear in many successful productions, not least as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. In 1969 the National Theatre Company received a (Special Tony Award) which was accepted by Olivier at the (23rd Tony Awards). He became a (life peer) in 1970, for his services to theatre, and stepped down in 1973.

(Peter Hall) took over to manage the move to the South Bank. His career included running the (Arts Theatre) between 1956 and 1959 – where he directed the English language première of (Samuel Beckett)'s (Waiting for Godot). He went on to take over the Memorial Theatre at Stratford, and to create the permanent Royal Shakespeare Company, in 1960, also establishing a new RSC base at the (Aldwych Theatre) for transfers to the (West End). He was artistic director at the National Theatre between 1973 and 1988. During this time he directed major productions for the Theatre, and also some opera at Glyndebourne and the Royal Opera House. After leaving, he ran his own company at (The Old Vic) and summer seasons at the (Theatre Royal, Bath) also returning to guest direct Tantalus for the RSC in 2000 and Bacchai in the National Theatre's Olivier and Twelfth Night in the Dorfman some years later. In 2008, he opened a new theatre, (The Rose), and remained its Director Emeritus until his death in 2017.

One of the National's associate directors under Peter Hall, (Richard Eyre), became artistic director in 1988; his experience included running the (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Edinburgh and the (Nottingham Playhouse). He was noted for his series of collaborations with (David Hare) on the state of contemporary Britain.

In 1997, (Trevor Nunn) became artistic director. He came to the National from the RSC, having undertaken a major expansion of the company into the (Swan), (The Other Place) and the (Barbican Theatres). He brought a more populist style to the National, directing (My Fair Lady), (Oklahoma!) and .

In April 2003, (Nicholas Hytner) took over as artistic director. He previously worked as an associate director with the (Royal Exchange Theatre) and the National. A number of his successful productions have been made into films. In April 2013 Hytner announced he would step down as artistic director at the end of March 2015.

Amongst Hytner's innovations were NT Future, the National Theatre Live initiative of (simulcasting) live productions, and the Entry Pass scheme, allowing young people under the age of 26 to purchase tickets for £7.50 to any production at the theatre.

(Rufus Norris) took over as artistic director in March 2015. He is the first person since Laurence Olivier to hold the post without being a (University of Cambridge) graduate. In June 2023 it was announced that Norris would be stepping down in 2025.

1963–1973

In 1962, the company of (The Old Vic) theatre was dissolved, and reconstituted as the "National Theatre Company" opening on 22 October 1963 with (Hamlet). The company remained based in The Old Vic until the new buildings opened in February 1976. The National Theatre Board was established in February 1963, formally gaining the Royal prefix in 1990.

• (Hamlet), directed by (Laurence Olivier), with (Peter O'Toole) in the title role and (Michael Redgrave) as (Claudius) (1963)
• (The Recruiting Officer), directed by (William Gaskill) with (Laurence Olivier) as Captain Brazen, (Maggie Smith) as Sylvia and (Robert Stephens) as Captain Plume (1963).
• (Othello), directed by (John Dexter), with (Laurence Olivier) in the title role, (Frank Finlay) as (Iago) and (Maggie Smith) as Desdemona (1964)
• (The Royal Hunt of the Sun) by (Peter Shaffer), directed by (John Dexter) (1964); the National's first world premiere
• (Hay Fever), directed by (Noël Coward) starring (Edith Evans) as Judith, (Maggie Smith) as Myra, (Derek Jacobi) as Simon, (Barbara Hicks) as Clara, Anthony Nicholls as David, (Robert Stephens) as Sandy, Robert Lang as Richard, and (Lynn Redgrave) as Jackie (1964).
• (Much Ado About Nothing), directed by (Franco Zeffirelli) with (Maggie Smith), (Robert Stephens), (Ian McKellen), (Lynn Redgrave), (Albert Finney), (Michael York) and (Derek Jacobi) among others (1965).
• (Miss Julie) by (August Strindberg), directed by (Michael Elliott) with (Albert Finney) and (Maggie Smith) in a double bill with Black Comedy by (Peter Shaffer), directed by John Dexter with (Derek Jacobi) and Maggie Smith. (1965/66)
• (As You Like It) directed by (Clifford Williams), the all-male production with (Ronald Pickup) as Rosalind, (Jeremy Brett) as Orlando, (Charles Kay) as Celia, (Derek Jacobi) as Touchstone, (Robert Stephens) as Jaques (1967)
• (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) by (Tom Stoppard), directed by (Derek Goldby), with (John Stride) and (Edward Petherbridge) (1967)
• (The Dance of Death) by (August Strindberg), with (Laurence Olivier) as Edgar, (Geraldine McEwan) as Alice and (Robert Stephens) as Kurt (1967)
• (Oedipus) by (Seneca) translated by (Ted Hughes), directed by (Peter Brook), with (John Gielgud) as Oedipus, (Irene Worth) as Jocasta (1968)
• (The Merchant of Venice), directed by (Jonathan Miller), with (Laurence Olivier) as (Shylock) and (Joan Plowright) as (Portia) (1970)
• (Hedda Gabler) by (Henrik Ibsen), directed by (Ingmar Bergman), with (Maggie Smith) as Hedda (1970)
• (Long Day's Journey into Night) by (Eugene O'Neill), directed by (Michael Blakemore), with (Laurence Olivier) as James Tyrone (1971)
• (Jumpers) by (Tom Stoppard), directed by (Peter Wood), starring (Michael Hordern) and (Diana Rigg) (1972)
• (The Misanthrope) by (Molière), translated by (Tony Harrison), directed by (John Dexter) with (Alec McCowen) and (Diana Rigg) (1973–74)

1974–1987

• (The Tempest) with (John Gielgud) as Prospero, directed by (Peter Hall) (1974)
• (Eden End) by (J.B. Priestley), with (Joan Plowright) as Stella and (Michael Jayston) as Charles (1974)
• (No Man's Land) by (Harold Pinter), directed by (Peter Hall), with (Ralph Richardson) and (John Gielgud) (1975)
• (Illuminatus!), an eight-hour five-(play cycle) from (Ken Campbell's) The Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool (1977)
• (Bedroom Farce) by (Alan Ayckbourn), directed by (Peter Hall) (1977)
• (Lark Rise) by (Keith Dewhurst), directed by (Bill Bryden) (1978)
• (Tales from the Vienna Woods) by (Ödön von Horváth), translated by (Christopher Hampton), directed by (Maximilian Schell), with (Stephen Rea) and (Kate Nelligan)
• (Plenty) by (David Hare), directed by the author, with (Stephen Moore) and (Kate Nelligan) (1978)
• (Amadeus) by (Peter Shaffer), directed by (Peter Hall), with (Paul Scofield) and (Simon Callow) (1979–80)
• (Galileo), by (Bertolt Brecht), translated by (Howard Brenton) directed by (John Dexter) with (Michael Gambon) (1980)
• (The Romans in Britain) by (Howard Brenton), directed by (Michael Bogdanov), subject of an unsuccessful private prosecution by (Mary Whitehouse) (1980)
• (The Oresteia) by (Aeschylus), translated by (Tony Harrison), directed by (Peter Hall) (1981)
• (A Kind of Alaska), one-act play by (Harold Pinter), directed by (Peter Brook), with (Judi Dench). Inspired by Awakenings, by (Oliver Sacks). (1982)
• (Guys and Dolls), the National's first musical, directed by (Richard Eyre), starring (Bob Hoskins), (Julia McKenzie), (Ian Charleson), and (Julie Covington) (1982)
• (Glengarry Glen Ross) by (David Mamet), directed by (Bill Bryden) (1983)
• (Jean Seberg), musical with a book by Julian Barry, lyrics by (Christopher Adler), and music by (Marvin Hamlisch); directed by Peter Hall (1983)
• (Fool for Love) by (Sam Shepard), starring (Ian Charleson) and (Julie Walters), directed by (Peter Gill) (1984)
• (The Mysteries) from medieval (Mystery plays) in a version by (Tony Harrison), directed by (Bill Bryden) (1985)
• (Pravda) by (Howard Brenton) and (David Hare), directed by David Hare, with (Anthony Hopkins) (1985)
• (The American Clock) by (Arthur Miller), directed by (Peter Wood) (1986)
• (Antony and Cleopatra) directed by (Peter Hall), with (Anthony Hopkins) and (Judi Dench) (1987)
• Happy Birthday, Sir Larry directed by (Mike Ockrent) and (Jonathan Myerson), with a cast including (Peggy Ashcroft), (Peter Hall), (Antony Sher), (Albert Finney) (31 May 1987) an 80th Birthday Tribute to (Sir Laurence Olivier)

1988–1997

• (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), directed by (Howard Davies), starring (Ian Charleson) and (Lindsay Duncan) (1988)
• (Fuente Ovejuna) by (Lope de Vega), translated by (Adrian Mitchell), directed by (Declan Donnellan) (1989)
• (Hamlet), starring (Daniel Day-Lewis) and (Judi Dench), later (Ian Charleson), directed by (Richard Eyre) (1989)
• (The Voysey Inheritance), starring (Jeremy Northam), directed by (Richard Eyre)
• (Richard III) starring (Ian McKellen) and directed by (Richard Eyre) (1990)
• (Sunday in the Park with George) by (Stephen Sondheim) and (James Lapine), directed by (Steven Pimlott) (British premiere) (1990)
• (The Madness of George III) by (Alan Bennett), directed by (Nicholas Hytner), starring (Nigel Hawthorne) (1991)
• (Angels in America) by (Tony Kushner), directed by (Declan Donnellan) (1991–92)
• (Carousel) by (Richard Rodgers) and (Oscar Hammerstein II), directed by (Nicholas Hytner) (1993)
• (An Inspector Calls) by (J. B. Priestley), directed by (Stephen Daldry) (1992)
• (Racing Demon), (Murmuring Judges), and (The Absence of War), by (David Hare), directed by (Richard Eyre) (1993)
• (Arcadia) by (Tom Stoppard), directed by (Trevor Nunn) (1993)
• (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) by Stephen Sondheim and (Hugh Wheeler), directed by (Declan Donnellan) (1993)
• (Hedda Gabler) starring (Fiona Shaw), directed by (Deborah Warner) (1993)
• (Les Parents Terribles) by (Jean Cocteau), directed by Sean Mathias (1994)
• (Women of Troy) by (Euripides), directed by (Annie Castledine), starring Josette Bushell-Mingo, (Rosemary Harris) and (Jane Birkin) (1995)
• (A Little Night Music) by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, directed by (Sean Mathias), with (Judi Dench) (1995)
• (Anna Karenina) adapted by (Helen Edmundson), with (Anne-Marie Duff) (1996)
• (King Lear) directed by (Richard Eyre), with (Ian Holm) (1997)
• (The Caucasian Chalk Circle) by (Bertolt Brecht), translated by (Frank McGuinness), directed by (Simon McBurney) (1997)

1998–2002

• (Copenhagen) by (Michael Frayn), directed by (Michael Blakemore) (1998)
• (Oklahoma!) by (Richard Rodgers) and (Oscar Hammerstein), directed by (Trevor Nunn), with (Maureen Lipman) and (Hugh Jackman) (1998)
• Our Lady of Sligo by (Sebastian Barry), directed by (Max Stafford-Clark), with (Sinéad Cusack) (1998)
• (Candide) by (Leonard Bernstein), directed by (John Caird) assisted by (Trevor Nunn) (1999)
• (The Merchant of Venice) directed by (Trevor Nunn), with (Henry Goodman) (1999)
• (Summerfolk) by (Maxim Gorky), directed by (Trevor Nunn) (1999)
• (Honk!), (Laurence Olivier Award) winner (1999)
• (Money) by (Edward Bulwer-Lytton), directed by (John Caird) (1999)
• (Albert Speer) by (David Edgar), with (Alex Jennings) (2000)
• (Blue/Orange) by (Joe Penhall) directed by (Roger Michell), with (Chiwetel Ejiofor), (Bill Nighy) and (Andrew Lincoln) (2000)
• (The Island) by (Athol Fugard), (John Kani), and (Winston Ntshona), directed by (Peter Brook) and performed by Kani and Ntshona (2000)
• (Far Side of the Moon) written, directed and performed by (Robert Lepage) (2001)
• (Humble Boy) by (Charlotte Jones) directed by (John Caird), with (Simon Russell Beale) (2001)
• (South Pacific) by (Richard Rodgers) and (Oscar Hammerstein), directed by (Trevor Nunn), with (Philip Quast) who won the 2002 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and (Lauren Kennedy) (2001)
• (The Winter's Tale) by (William Shakespeare) directed by (Nicholas Hytner), with (Alex Jennings) and (Phil Daniels) (2001)
• (Vincent in Brixton) by (Nicholas Wright), directed by (Richard Eyre), with (Clare Higgins) (2002)
• (The Coast of Utopia), a trilogy by (Tom Stoppard), comprising: Voyage, Shipwreck and Salvage, directed by (Trevor Nunn), with computerised video designs by (William Dudley) (2002)
• (Anything Goes) by (Cole Porter), directed by (Trevor Nunn), with (John Barrowman) and (Sally Ann Triplett) (2002)
• (Dinner) by (Moira Buffini), with (Harriet Walter), (Nicholas Farrell) and (Catherine McCormack), directed by (2002)
• (A Streetcar Named Desire) by (Tennessee Williams), with (Glenn Close), (Iain Glen) and (Essie Davis), directed by (Trevor Nunn) (2002)

2003–2014

• (Henry V) by (William Shakespeare), directed by (Nicholas Hytner) starring (Adrian Lester) (2003)
• (Jerry Springer: The Opera), a musical by (Stewart Lee) and (Richard Thomas) (2003)
• (His Dark Materials), a two-part adaptation of (Philip Pullman)'s novel directed by (Nicholas Hytner) starring (Anna Maxwell Martin), (Dominic Cooper), (Patricia Hodge) and (Niamh Cusack) (2003)
• (The History Boys) by (Alan Bennett), directed by (Nicholas Hytner), starring (Richard Griffiths), (Frances de la Tour) and (Dominic Cooper) (2004)
• (Coram Boy) by (Helen Edmundson), with (Bertie Carvel) and (Paul Ritter) (2005–2006)
• Laurence Olivier Celebratory Performance directed by (Nicholas Hytner) and Angus MacKechnie. A one-off tribute to (Lord Laurence Olivier), the National's first director, in his centenary year and starring (Richard Attenborough), (Claire Bloom), (Rory Kinnear), and (Alex Jennings) (23 September 2007)
• (War Horse) based on a novel by (Michael Morpurgo), adapted by (Nick Stafford), directed by (Marianne Elliott) and (Tom Morris), presented in association with (Handspring) (2007–2009)
• (Much Ado About Nothing), directed by (Nicholas Hytner), with (Simon Russell Beale) and (Zoë Wanamaker) (2007–2008)
• (Never So Good) by (Howard Brenton), directed by (Howard Davies) with (Jeremy Irons) (2008)
• (Mother Courage and Her Children), by (Bertolt Brecht), with (Fiona Shaw) (2009)
• (Phèdre) featuring (Helen Mirren), (Margaret Tyzack) and (Dominic Cooper), directed by (Nicholas Hytner) (2009)
• (The Habit of Art), by (Alan Bennett), with (Richard Griffiths), directed by (Nicholas Hytner)(2010)
• (Frankenstein), directed by (Danny Boyle) and starring (Benedict Cumberbatch) and (Jonny Lee Miller) (2011)
• (One Man, Two Guvnors), based on (Servant of Two Masters) by Richard Bean, with (James Corden), directed by (Nicholas Hytner) (2011)
• (London Road), a musical by (Alecky Blythe) and Adam Cork, directed by (Rufus Norris) (2011)
• (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) by (Simon Stephens), adapted from (the novel) of the same name by (Mark Haddon), with (Luke Treadaway), (Nicola Walker), (Niamh Cusack) and (Paul Ritter) (2012).
• (Othello) by (William Shakespeare) with (Adrian Lester) and (Rory Kinnear), directed by (Nicholas Hytner) (2013)
• National Theatre: 50 Years on Stage. Celebrating the 50th anniversary, a selection of scenes from various productions in the National Theatre's history, featuring (Angels in America), (One Man, Two Guvnors), (London Road), (Jerry Springer: The Opera) and (Guys and Dolls), featuring (Maggie Smith), (Derek Jacobi), (Adrian Lester), (Joan Plowright), (Judi Dench), (Rory Kinnear), (Helen Mirren) and (Alex Jennings). Directed by (Nicholas Hytner) and designed by Mark Thompson(2013)
• (King Lear) by (William Shakespeare), with (Simon Russell Beale), directed by (Sam Mendes) (2014)

2015–present

• (Everyman) adapted by (Carol Ann Duffy), starring (Chiwetel Ejiofor), directed by (Rufus Norris) (2015)
• (People, Places & Things) by (Duncan MacMillan), directed by (Jeremy Herrin), starring (Denise Gough) (2015)
• (Cleansed) by (Sarah Kane), directed by (Katie Mitchell) (2016)
• (The Deep Blue Sea) by (Terence Rattigan), directed by (Carrie Cracknell) starring (Helen McCrory) (2016)
• (Amadeus) by (Peter Shaffer), directed by Michael Longhurst, starring (Lucian Msamati) and (Adam Gillen) (2016 and 2018)
• (Hedda Gabler) by (Henrik Ibsen), directed by (Ivo van Hove), starring (Ruth Wilson), a re-working of the production previously staged at the (Toneelgrope Amsterdam) and (New York Theatre Workshop) (2016)
• (Les Blancs) by (Lorraine Hansberry), final text adapted by Robert Nemiroff, directed by (Yaël Farber), starring (Danny Sapani) and (Siân Phillips) (2016)
• (Angels in America) by (Tony Kushner), directed by (Marianne Elliott), starring (Andrew Garfield), (Denise Gough), (James McArdle), (Russell Tovey) and (Nathan Lane) (2017)
• (Follies), music and lyrics by (Stephen Sondheim) and book by (James Goldman), directed by (Dominic Cooke), starring (Imelda Staunton), (Janie Dee), (Philip Quast) and (Tracie Bennett) (2017; return engagement in 2019)
• (Beginning) by (David Eldridge), directed by (Polly Findlay) (2017)
• (Network), directed by (Ivo van Hove), based on the (Sidney Lumet) film, adapted by (Lee Hall), starring (Bryan Cranston) (2017)
• John by (Annie Baker), directed by (James Macdonald) (2018)
• (Nine Night) by (Natasha Gordon), directed by Roy Alexander Weise, starring Cecilia Noble (2018)
• (Translations) by (Brian Friel), directed by (Ian Rickson), starring (Colin Morgan) and (Ciarán Hinds) (2018)
• Julie by (Polly Stenham), directed by (Carrie Cracknell), starring (Vanessa Kirby) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (2018)
• (An Octoroon) by (Branden Jacobs-Jenkins), directed by Ned Bennett, a co-production with (Orange Tree Theatre) (2018)
• (The Lehman Trilogy) by Stefano Massini, adapted by (Ben Power), directed by (Sam Mendes), starring (Adam Godley), (Ben Miles), and (Simon Russell Beale), a co-production with (Neal Street Productions) (2018)
• (Pericles) by (William Shakespeare), adapted by (Chris Bush), directed by Emily Lim, the first Public Acts production (2018)
• (Antony and Cleopatra) by (William Shakespeare), directed by (Simon Godwin), starring (Ralph Fiennes) and (Sophie Okonedo) (2018)
• (Hadestown), music, lyrics, and book by (Anaïs Mitchell), directed by (Rachel Chavkin) (2018)
• When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other: Twelve Variations on (Samuel Richardson)'s (Pamela) by (Martin Crimp), directed by (Katie Mitchell), starring (Cate Blanchett) and (Stephen Dillane) (2019)
• (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) based on a novel by (Neil Gaiman) (2019)
• (The Crucible) by (Arthur Miller), directed by Lyndsey Turner and designed by (Es Devlin) (2022)
• (Standing at the Sky's Edge) book by Chris Bush with songs by (Richard Hawley) (2023)
• (Dear England) by (James Graham) directed by (Rupert Gould) (2023)
• (The Witches) (2023–2024)
• The House of Bernarda Alba (2023–2024)
• (Dear Octopus) (2024) directed by Emily Burns

• (Queen Elizabeth II) 1974– 2019
• (Meghan, duch*ess of Sussex) January 2019– February 2021
• (Queen Camilla) March 2022 – present

• 

  An artistic lighting scheme illuminating the exterior of the building

• 

  The statue of Laurence Olivier as Hamlet was unveiled in September 2007

• 

  The terrace entrance between the mezzanine restaurant level and the Olivier cloakroom level, reached from halfway up/down Waterloo Bridge

• 

  The main entrance on the ground floor

• 

  The ensemble shows a varying range of geometric relationships.

• 

  River Thames and Waterloo Bridge, with National Theatre, centre-right

• (National Youth Theatre)
• (National Theatre of Scotland)
• (National Theatre of Wales)
• (Wales Millennium Centre)
• (National Theatre of Ireland)
• (List of Royal National Theatre Company actors)

• (Elsom, John) and (Tomalin, Nicholas) (1978): The History of the National Theatre. Jonathan Cape, London. (ISBN).
• (Hall, Peter), (edited (Goodwin, John)) (1983): Peter Hall's Diaries: The Story of a Dramatic Battle (1972–79). Hamish Hamilton, London. (ISBN).
• Goodwin, Tim (1988), Britain's Royal National Theatre: The First 25 Years. Nick Hern Books, London. (ISBN).
• (Callow, Simon) (1997): The National: The Theatre and its Work, 1963–1997. Nick Hern Books, London. (ISBN).

• Rosenthal, Daniel (2013). The National Theatre Story. Oberon Books: London. (ISBN)
• Dillon, Patrick [Tilson, Jake – designed by] (2015). Concrete Reality: Building the National Theatre National Theatre: London. (ISBN)

• Official website
• NT Live
• NT Connections 6 December 2012 at the (Wayback Machine)
• History of the National Theatre with archive images and press reports on the building at The Music Hall and Theatre Site dedicated to (Arthur Lloyd)
• Shakespeare at the National Theatre, 1967–2012, compiled by Daniel Rosenthal, on
• National Theatre's Black Plays Archive, supported by Sustained Theatre and (Arts Council England)
• National Theatre Act 1949 on the UK Parliament website