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Wikipedia

Royal National Theatre

January 21, 2023

The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre[1] (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. Internationally, it is known as the National Theatre of Great Britain.[2]

National Theatre
The National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge
National Theatre
Location within Central London
Former namesNational Theatre Company (while based at the Old Vic from 1963)
AddressUpper Ground, South Bank
London
England
Coordinates51°30′26″N 0°06′51″W / 51.5071°N 0.1141°W / 51.5071; -0.1141Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 0°06′51″W / 51.5071°N 0.1141°W / 51.5071; -0.1141
Public transit
DesignationGrade II*
TypeNational theatre
Capacity
  • Olivier Theatre: 1,160 seats
  • Lyttelton Theatre: 890 seats
  • Dorfman Theatre: 400 seats
Construction
Opened1976; 47 years ago (1976) (building)
ArchitectDenys Lasdun
Website
nationaltheatre.org.uk

Founded by Laurence Olivier in 1963, many well-known actors have performed at the National Theatre. Until 1976, the company was based at The Old Vic theatre in Waterloo. 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.[3] 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.[4] Permission to add the "Royal" prefix to the name of the theatre was given in 1988,[5] 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.

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 was announced. It is a video on demand streaming service, specifically created for National Theatre Live recordings. 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.[6][7]

The NT had an annual turnover of approximately £105 million 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.[8]

Origins

In 1847, a critic using the pseudonym Dramaticus published a pamphlet[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]

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.

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, offering financial support, was passed by Parliament in 1949.[12] 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.[12]

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.[13] 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 Flint & Neill containing three stages, which opened individually between 1976 and 1977.[14] The construction work was carried out by Sir Robert McAlpine.[15]

The Company remained at the Old Vic until 1977, when construction of the Olivier was complete.[12]

Theatre building and architecture

 
Entrance to the National Theatre

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 Greek theatre at 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.[16]

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),[17] 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.[18] 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[18] theatre reopened in September 2014 under its new name.[19]

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.[20]

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.[21][22] 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".[23][24]

 
Axis view of Royal National Theatre to Olivier Theatre fly tower

Architecture

 
Detail of the National Theatre showing the grain of the formwork

The style of the National Theatre building was described by 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 Sir Nikolaus Pevsner found the Béton brut concrete both inside and out overbearing. Most notoriously, 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". Sir 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."[25]

 
Denys Lasdun's building for the National Theatre – an "urban landscape" of interlocking terraces responding to the site at King's Reach on the River Thames to exploit views of St Paul's Cathedral and Somerset House.

Despite the controversy, the theatre has been a Grade II* listed building since 1994.[26] 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.[27] 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[28] 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.[29]

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

NT Future

2013 saw the commencement of the "NT Future" project; a redevelopment of the National Theatre complex which it was estimated would cost about £80m.[30]

National Theatre Studio

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.[31] 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.[32] Laura Collier became Head of the Studio in November 2011, replacing Purni Morrell who headed the Studio from 2006.[33] 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

Main article: National Theatre Live

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.[34]

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

Learning and participation

National Theatre Connections

Main article: 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.[35]

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.[36] 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.[37]

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.[38] 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).[39]

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.'[40] The second production was As You Like It performed in August 2019 at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch.[41][42]

Since 2019, Public Acts has been working on a third production in Doncaster in partnership with Cast and six local community partners.[43] The new adaptation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle was originally planned for 2020 but has been postponed, due to COVID-19.[44]

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.[45][46]

Outdoor festivals

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. Particiating organisations have included The Glory, 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.[47]

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.[48] 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.[49]

Artistic directors

 
Laurence Olivier became the first artistic director of the National Theatre in 1963. Shown in a photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1939

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, introducing musical theatre to the repertoire, directing My Fair Lady, Oklahoma! and South Pacific.

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.[50][51]

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.

 
Facing east; towards the City of London, from Waterloo Bridge. Showing St. Paul's, and other major City buildings – to the right, the illuminated National Theatre.

Notable productions

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.

1974–1987

1988–1997

1998–2002

2003–2014

2015–present

Royal patrons

Gallery

  •  

    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

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Home page". The National Theatre. from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2017. Welcome to the National Theatre
  2. ^ Lister, David (11 January 2003). "Wales and Scotland need a cultural revolution". The Independent. London.
  3. ^ . Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  4. ^ Slawson, Nicola (17 February 2021). "National Theatre to halt Europe tours over Brexit rules". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  5. ^ The Cambridge History of British Theatre, Volume 3, p. 319
  6. ^ "U.K. National Theater Enters the Streaming Wars". New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  7. ^ "National Theatre at Home". National Theatre. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  8. ^ National Theatre Annual Report 2012-13
  9. ^ Dramaticus The stage as it is (1847)
  10. ^ Effingham William Wilson A House for Shakespeare. A proposition for the consideration of the Nation and a Second and Concluding Paper (1848)
  11. ^ Woodfield, James (1984). English Theatre in Transition, 1881–1914: 1881–1914. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 95–107. ISBN 0-389-20483-8.
  12. ^ a b c Findlater, Richard The Winding Road to King's Reach (1977), also in Callow. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  13. ^ "Monitor - Prince of Denmark". BBC. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. ^ . History of the NT. Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  15. ^ (PDF). Sir Robert McAlpine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  16. ^ History of the Drum Revolve 30 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine at National Theatre website
  17. ^ Brown, Mark (28 October 2010). "National Theatre's Cottesloe venue to be renamed after £10m donor". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Dorfman Theatre". Royal National Theatre. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  19. ^ Quinn, Michael (2 July 2014). "National's Dorfman Theatre to open with Fatboy Slim musical". The Stage. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  20. ^ "National Theatre reveals closing date for Temporary Theatre". The Stage. 19 April 2016.
  21. ^ Carl Randall's "London Portraits" on display in National Portrait Gallery., The Royal Drawing School, London, 2016, retrieved 20 March 2021
  22. ^ Actress Katie Leung and The Shed., Carl Randall's artist website, 2016, from the original on 20 March 2021, retrieved 20 March 2021
  23. ^ Carl Randall's London Portraits – Video Documentary., The Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation London, 2016, from the original on 10 August 2016, retrieved 20 March 2021
  24. ^ London Portraits – Video Documentary., Youtube, 2016, from the original on 20 March 2021, retrieved 20 March 2021
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  28. ^ Denys Lasdun: Architecture, City, Landscape by William J R Curtis Phaidon Press 1994
  29. ^ Lithgow, John (13 January 2013). "A Lone Yank Takes Joy in Togetherness". The New York Times. p. AR7. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  30. ^ "Welcome to National Theatre NT Future" 6 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Royal National Theatre. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
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  32. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (28 November 2007). . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  33. ^ "Collier to Head NT Studio" 12 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The British Theatre Guide, 20 October 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  34. ^ The Magistrate 7 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Royal National Theatre.
  35. ^ "National Theatre On demand. In Schools". schools.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  36. ^ "Third of secondary schools sign up to National Theatre's streaming service | News | The Stage". The Stage. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  37. ^ "2018 winners | Bett Awards". bettawards.com. from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  38. ^ "National Theatre collection available to pupils and teachers at home for free". Voice Online. 26 March 2020. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  39. ^ Davies, Alan (26 April 2020). "Teachers and students able to access National Theatre Collection". Welwyn Hatfield Times. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Pericles review – musical Shakespeare adaptation is a joy". The Guardian. 30 August 2018. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  41. ^ "Review: As You Like It (Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch) | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  42. ^ Gillinson, Miriam (27 August 2019). "As You Like It review – musical take on Shakespeare inspires and thrills". The Guardian. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  43. ^ "National Theatre announces new works and star casts". British Theatre. 13 June 2019. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  44. ^ "Public Acts | National Theatre". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  45. ^ "James Graham on his uplifting 2020 musical: 'We want to look forward'". The Guardian. 17 December 2020. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  46. ^ "National Theatre's Public Acts Community Members Perform in Online Musical "We Begin Again" Produced by The Guardian, in Partnership with National Theatre - Theatre Weekly". from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  47. ^ "Watch This Space Festival" 19 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Royal National Theatre
  48. ^ "Watch This Space Festival" 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Royal National Theatre
  49. ^ . Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
  50. ^ Charlotte Higgins (10 April 2013)."Sir Nicholas Hytner to step down as National Theatre artistic director" 20 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  51. ^ "Sir Nicholas Hytner to leave National Theatre" 20 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 10 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  52. ^ Theatre programme for Happy Birthday, Sir Larry, dated 31 May 1987
  53. ^ "Tolstoy's epic novel "War and Peace" has been reduced to just a few hours on stage | the Independent | the Independent". Independent.co.uk. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  54. ^ "Coram Boy, National Theatre, London | the Independent". Independent.co.uk. from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  55. ^ One Man, Two Guvnors 8 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Onemantwoguvnors.com.
  56. ^ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 23 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Royal National Theatre.
  57. ^ King Lear Archived 20 May 2014 at archive.today. Royal National Theatre.
  58. ^ "Les Blancs | National Theatre". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  59. ^ McPhee, Ryan. "War Horse Will Return to London's National Theatre; Additional Season Casting Set | Playbill". Playbill. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  60. ^ Wood, Alex (21 March 2018). "National Theatre and The Wardrobe Ensemble to present The Star Seekers at the Dorfman Theatre". WhatsOnStage.com. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  61. ^ Paulson, Michael (19 April 2018). "The Underworld Will Stop in London en Route to Broadway". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  62. ^ "Meghan made patron of National Theatre". BBC News. 10 January 2019. from the original on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  63. ^ "Harry and Meghan not returning as working members of Royal Family". BBC News. 19 February 2021. from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  64. ^ "Camilla replaces Meghan as royal patron of National Theatre". Sky News. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Rosenthal, Daniel (2013). The National Theatre Story. Oberon Books: London. ISBN 978-1-84002-768-6
  • Dillon, Patrick [Tilson, Jake – designed by] (2015). Concrete Reality: Building the National Theatre National Theatre: London. ISBN 978-0-95722-592-3

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Theatre, London.
  • 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 Google Arts & Culture
  • National Theatre's Black Plays Archive, supported by Sustained Theatre and Arts Council England
  • National Theatre Act 1949 on the UK Parliament website

January 21, 2023
royal, national, theatre, london, commonly, known, national, theatre, united, kingdom, three, most, prominent, publicly, funded, performing, arts, venues, alongside, royal, shakespeare, company, royal, opera, house, internationally, known, national, theatre, g. The Royal National Theatre in London commonly known as the National Theatre 1 NT is one of the United Kingdom s three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House Internationally it is known as the National Theatre of Great Britain 2 National TheatreThe National Theatre from Waterloo BridgeNational TheatreLocation within Central LondonFormer namesNational Theatre Company while based at the Old Vic from 1963 AddressUpper Ground South BankLondonEnglandCoordinates51 30 26 N 0 06 51 W 51 5071 N 0 1141 W 51 5071 0 1141 Coordinates 51 30 26 N 0 06 51 W 51 5071 N 0 1141 W 51 5071 0 1141Public transitWaterlooWaterlooWaterloo EastDesignationGrade II TypeNational theatreCapacityOlivier Theatre 1 160 seatsLyttelton Theatre 890 seatsDorfman Theatre 400 seatsConstructionOpened1976 47 years ago 1976 building ArchitectDenys LasdunWebsitenationaltheatre wbr org wbr ukFounded by Laurence Olivier in 1963 many well known actors have performed at the National Theatre Until 1976 the company was based at The Old Vic theatre in Waterloo 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 3 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 4 Permission to add the Royal prefix to the name of the theatre was given in 1988 5 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 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 Phedre 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 was announced It is a video on demand streaming service specifically created for National Theatre Live recordings 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 6 7 The NT had an annual turnover of approximately 105 million 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 8 Contents 1 Origins 2 Theatre building and architecture 2 1 Theatres 2 1 1 Olivier Theatre 2 1 2 Lyttelton Theatre 2 1 3 Dorfman Theatre 2 1 4 Temporary Theatre 2 2 Architecture 2 3 Foyers and interior spaces 3 NT Future 4 National Theatre Studio 5 National Theatre Live 6 Learning and participation 6 1 National Theatre Connections 6 2 National Theatre Collection 6 3 Public Acts 7 Outdoor festivals 7 1 River Stage 7 2 Watch This Space 8 Artistic directors 9 Notable productions 9 1 1963 1973 9 2 1974 1987 9 3 1988 1997 9 4 1998 2002 9 5 2003 2014 9 6 2015 present 10 Royal patrons 11 Gallery 12 See also 13 Notes 14 Bibliography 15 Further reading 16 External linksOrigins EditIn 1847 a critic using the pseudonym Dramaticus published a pamphlet 9 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 10 The situation continued with a renewed call every decade for a National Theatre Attention was aroused in 1879 when the Comedie Francaise 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 11 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 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 offering financial support was passed by Parliament in 1949 12 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 12 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 13 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 Flint amp Neill containing three stages which opened individually between 1976 and 1977 14 The construction work was carried out by Sir Robert McAlpine 15 The Company remained at the Old Vic until 1977 when construction of the Olivier was complete 12 Theatre building and architecture Edit Entrance to the National Theatre Theatres Edit The National Theatre building houses three separate theatres Additionally a temporary structure was added in April 2013 and closed in May 2016 Olivier Theatre Edit Named after the theatre s first artistic director Laurence Olivier this is the main auditorium modelled on the ancient Greek theatre at 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 16 Lyttelton Theatre Edit 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 Edit Named after Lloyd Dorfman philanthropist and chairman of Travelex Group 17 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 18 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 18 theatre reopened in September 2014 under its new name 19 Temporary Theatre Edit 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 20 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 21 22 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 23 24 Axis view of Royal National Theatre to Olivier Theatre fly tower Architecture Edit Detail of the National Theatre showing the grain of the formworkThe style of the National Theatre building was described by 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 Sir Nikolaus Pevsner found the Beton brut concrete both inside and out overbearing Most notoriously 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 Sir 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 25 Denys Lasdun s building for the National Theatre an urban landscape of interlocking terraces responding to the site at King s Reach on the River Thames to exploit views of St Paul s Cathedral and Somerset House Despite the controversy the theatre has been a Grade II listed building since 1994 26 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 27 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 28 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 Edit 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 29 Backstage tours run throughout the day and the Sherling High Level Walkway open daily until 7 30 pm offers visitors views into the backstage production workshops for set construction and assembly scenic painting and prop making NT Future Edit2013 saw the commencement of the NT Future project a redevelopment of the National Theatre complex which it was estimated would cost about 80m 30 National Theatre Studio EditThe 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 31 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 32 Laura Collier became Head of the Studio in November 2011 replacing Purni Morrell who headed the Studio from 2006 33 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 EditMain article National Theatre Live This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page May 2020 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 34 The performances to be filmed and broadcast are nominated in advance allowing planned movement of cameras with greater freedom in the auditorium Learning and participation EditNational Theatre Connections Edit Main article 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 Edit 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 35 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 36 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 37 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 38 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 39 Public Acts Edit 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 40 The second production was As You Like It performed in August 2019 at the Queen s Theatre Hornchurch 41 42 Since 2019 Public Acts has been working on a third production in Doncaster in partnership with Cast and six local community partners 43 The new adaptation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle was originally planned for 2020 but has been postponed due to COVID 19 44 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 45 46 Outdoor festivals EditRiver Stage Edit 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 Particiating organisations have included The Glory 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 Edit 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 Bangditos 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 47 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 48 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 amp 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 49 Artistic directors EditSir 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 Laurence Olivier became the first artistic director of the National Theatre in 1963 Shown in a photograph by Carl Van Vechten 1939 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 premiere 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 introducing musical theatre to the repertoire directing My Fair Lady Oklahoma and South Pacific 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 50 51 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 Facing east towards the City of London from Waterloo Bridge Showing St Paul s and other major City buildings to the right the illuminated National Theatre Notable productions Edit1963 1973 Edit In 1962 the company of The Old Vic theatre was dissolved and reconstituted as the National Theatre Company opening on 22 October 1963 withHamlet 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 Noel 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 Moliere translated by Tony Harrison directed by John Dexter with Alec McCowen and Diana Rigg 1973 74 1974 1987 Edit 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 Odon von Horvath 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 52 1988 1997 Edit 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 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 53 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 Edit 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 Sinead 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 Fiona Buffini 2002 A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams with Glenn Close Iain Glen and Essie Davis directed by Trevor Nunn 2002 2003 2014 Edit 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 54 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 Zoe 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 Phedre 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 55 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 56 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 57 2015 present Edit Everyman adapted by Carol Ann Duffy starring Chiwetel Ejiofor directed by Rufus Norris 2015 People Places amp Things by Duncan MacMillan directed by Jeremy Herrin starring Denise Gough 2015 Cleansed by Sarah Kane directed by Katie Mitchell 2016 The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill a new adaptation by Simon Stephens directed by Rufus Norris starring Rosalie Craig and Rory Kinnear 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 A Pacifist s Guide to the War on Cancer a Complicite Associates co production with the National Theatre in association with HOME Manchester book by Bryony Kimmings and Brian Lobel with lyrics by Kimmings and music by Tom Parkinson 2016 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 the New York Theatre Workshop 2016 Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry final text adapted by Robert Nemiroff directed by Yael Farber starring Danny Sapani and Sian Phillips 2016 58 Angels in America by Tony Kushner directed by Marianne Elliot 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 play 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 Pinocchio by Dennis Kelly directed by John Tiffany with songs and score from the Walt Disney film by Leigh Harline Ned Washington and Paul J Smith adapted by Martin Lowe 2017 John by Annie Baker directed by James Macdonald 2018 The Winter s Tale by William Shakespeare adapted by Justin Audibert also the director of this production and the company 2018 Macbeth by William Shakespeare directed by Rufus Norris starring Anne Marie Duff and Rory Kinnear 2018 The Great Wave by Francis Turnly directed by Indhu Rubasingham a co production with the Tricycle Theatre 2018 Absolute Hell by Rodney Ackland directed by Joe Hill Gibbins 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 Ciaran 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 Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco adapted and directed by Patrick Marber starring Rhys Ifans and Indira Varma 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 The Prisoner text and direction by Peter Brook and Marie Helene Estienne 2018 Home I m Darling by Laura Wade directed by Tamara Harvey starring Katherine Parkinson a co production with Theatr Clwyd 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 I m Not Running by David Hare directed by Neil Armfield 2018 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 limited return engagement in 2018 59 The Star Seekers by the Wardrobe Ensemble and Wardrobe Theatre 2018 60 Hadestown music lyrics and book by Anais Mitchell directed by Rachel Chavkin 2018 61 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 Royal patrons EditQueen Elizabeth II 1974 2019 Meghan Duchess of Sussex January 2019 February 2021 62 63 Camilla Queen Consort March 2022 present 64 Gallery Edit 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 rightSee also EditNational Youth Theatre National Theatre of Scotland National Theatre of Wales Wales Millennium Centre National Theatre of Ireland List of Royal National Theatre Company actorsNotes Edit Home page The National Theatre Archived from the original on 25 May 2020 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Welcome to the National Theatre Lister David 11 January 2003 Wales and Scotland need a cultural revolution The Independent London National Theatre Near You Royal National Theatre Archived from the original on 3 February 2015 Retrieved 20 January 2015 Slawson Nicola 17 February 2021 National Theatre to halt Europe tours over Brexit rules The Guardian Retrieved 18 February 2021 The Cambridge History of British Theatre Volume 3 p 319 U K National Theater Enters the Streaming Wars New York Times Retrieved 17 December 2020 National Theatre at Home National Theatre Retrieved 17 December 2020 National Theatre Annual Report 2012 13 Dramaticus The stage as it is 1847 Effingham William Wilson A House for Shakespeare A proposition for the consideration of the Nation and a Second and Concluding Paper 1848 Woodfield James 1984 English Theatre in Transition 1881 1914 1881 1914 Rowman amp Littlefield pp 95 107 ISBN 0 389 20483 8 a b c Findlater Richard The Winding Road to King s Reach 1977 also in Callow Retrieved 1 July 2008 Monitor Prince of Denmark BBC Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 9 August 2020 Denys Lasdun and Peter Hall talk about the building History of the NT Royal National Theatre Archived from the original on 22 July 2010 Retrieved 1 October 2009 A portrait of achievement PDF Sir Robert McAlpine Archived from the original PDF on 8 May 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2016 History of the Drum Revolve Archived 30 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine at National Theatre website Brown Mark 28 October 2010 National Theatre s Cottesloe venue to be renamed after 10m donor The Guardian Retrieved 3 October 2022 a b Dorfman Theatre Royal National Theatre Retrieved 3 October 2022 Quinn Michael 2 July 2014 National s Dorfman Theatre to open with Fatboy Slim musical The Stage Retrieved 3 October 2022 National Theatre reveals closing date for Temporary Theatre The Stage 19 April 2016 Carl Randall s London Portraits on display in National Portrait Gallery The Royal Drawing School London 2016 retrieved 20 March 2021 Actress Katie Leung and The Shed Carl Randall s artist website 2016 archived from the original on 20 March 2021 retrieved 20 March 2021 Carl Randall s London Portraits Video Documentary The Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation London 2016 archived from the original on 10 August 2016 retrieved 20 March 2021 London Portraits Video Documentary Youtube 2016 archived from the original on 20 March 2021 retrieved 20 March 2021 Pearman Hugh 21 January 2001 Gabion The legacy of Lasdun 2 2 Archived from the original on 5 March 2012 Retrieved 25 April 2008 Historic England 23 June 1994 Royal National Theatre 1272324 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 16 August 2018 Rykwert Joseph 12 January 2001 Sir Denys Lasdun obituary The Independent London Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 Retrieved 22 January 2007 Denys Lasdun Architecture City Landscape by William J R Curtis Phaidon Press 1994 Lithgow John 13 January 2013 A Lone Yank Takes Joy in Togetherness The New York Times p AR7 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 16 May 2013 Welcome to National Theatre NT Future Archived 6 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Royal National Theatre Retrieved 6 April 2013 Historic England Royal National Theatre Studio 1391540 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 18 December 2018 Cavendish Dominic 28 November 2007 National Theatre Studio More power to theatre s engine room Telegraph The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 25 April 2008 Collier to Head NT Studio Archived 12 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine The British Theatre Guide 20 October 2011 Retrieved 6 April 2013 The Magistrate Archived 7 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Royal National Theatre National Theatre On demand In Schools schools nationaltheatre org uk Retrieved 15 August 2018 Third of secondary schools sign up to National Theatre s streaming service News The Stage The Stage 4 November 2016 Retrieved 15 August 2018 2018 winners Bett Awards bettawards com Archived from the original on 5 June 2016 Retrieved 15 August 2018 National Theatre collection available to pupils and teachers at home for free Voice Online 26 March 2020 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Davies Alan 26 April 2020 Teachers and students able to access National Theatre Collection Welwyn Hatfield Times Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Pericles review musical Shakespeare adaptation is a joy The Guardian 30 August 2018 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Review As You Like It Queen s Theatre Hornchurch WhatsOnStage www whatsonstage com Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Gillinson Miriam 27 August 2019 As You Like It review musical take on Shakespeare inspires and thrills The Guardian Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 28 February 2021 National Theatre announces new works and star casts British Theatre 13 June 2019 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Public Acts National Theatre www nationaltheatre org uk Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 James Graham on his uplifting 2020 musical We want to look forward The Guardian 17 December 2020 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 National Theatre s Public Acts Community Members Perform in Online Musical We Begin Again Produced by The Guardian in Partnership with National Theatre Theatre Weekly Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 18 January 2021 Watch This Space Festival Archived 19 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine Royal National Theatre Watch This Space Festival Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Royal National Theatre Watch this Space presents August Outdoors Royal National Theatre Archived from the original on 5 August 2013 Charlotte Higgins 10 April 2013 Sir Nicholas Hytner to step down as National Theatre artistic director Archived 20 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian Retrieved 6 May 2013 Sir Nicholas Hytner to leave National Theatre Archived 20 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine BBC News 10 April 2013 Retrieved 6 May 2013 Theatre programme for Happy Birthday Sir Larry dated 31 May 1987 Tolstoy s epic novel War and Peace has been reduced to just a few hours on stage the Independent the Independent Independent co uk Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 20 March 2021 Coram Boy National Theatre London the Independent Independent co uk Archived from the original on 3 April 2019 Retrieved 20 March 2021 One Man Two Guvnors Archived 8 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Onemantwoguvnors com The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Archived 23 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Royal National Theatre King Lear Archived 20 May 2014 at archive today Royal National Theatre Les Blancs National Theatre www nationaltheatre org uk Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 12 June 2020 McPhee Ryan War Horse Will Return to London s National Theatre Additional Season Casting Set Playbill Playbill Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 21 February 2018 Wood Alex 21 March 2018 National Theatre and The Wardrobe Ensemble to present The Star Seekers at the Dorfman Theatre WhatsOnStage com Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 23 April 2018 Paulson Michael 19 April 2018 The Underworld Will Stop in London en Route to Broadway The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 23 April 2018 Meghan made patron of National Theatre BBC News 10 January 2019 Archived from the original on 20 March 2021 Retrieved 30 January 2021 Harry and Meghan not returning as working members of Royal Family BBC News 19 February 2021 Archived from the original on 4 March 2021 Retrieved 19 February 2021 Camilla replaces Meghan as royal patron of National Theatre Sky News 18 March 2022 Retrieved 18 March 2022 Bibliography EditElsom John and Tomalin Nicholas 1978 The History of the National Theatre Jonathan Cape London ISBN 0 224 01340 8 Hall Peter edited Goodwin John 1983 Peter Hall s Diaries The Story of a Dramatic Battle 1972 79 Hamish Hamilton London ISBN 0 241 11047 5 Goodwin Tim 1988 Britain s Royal National Theatre The First 25 Years Nick Hern Books London ISBN 1 85459 070 7 Callow Simon 1997 The National The Theatre and its Work 1963 1997 Nick Hern Books London ISBN 1 85459 318 8 Further reading EditRosenthal Daniel 2013 The National Theatre Story Oberon Books London ISBN 978 1 84002 768 6 Dillon Patrick Tilson Jake designed by 2015 Concrete Reality Building the National Theatre National Theatre London ISBN 978 0 95722 592 3External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Theatre London Official website NT Live NT Connections Archived 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 Google Arts amp Culture National Theatre s Black Plays Archive supported by Sustained Theatre and Arts Council England National Theatre Act 1949 on the UK Parliament website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Royal National Theatre amp oldid 1132735002, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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