Royal National Theatre facts for kids

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National Theatre
Construction
The National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge
National Theatre Location in 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 / 51.5071; -0.1141
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
Opened	1976; 49 years ago (1976) (building)
Architect	Denys Lasdun Peter Softley

The National Theatre (NT) is a famous place for performing arts in London, England. It's also home to a theatre company. The theatre was started by the actor Laurence Olivier in 1963. Many well-known actors have performed there since.

The company first performed at The Old Vic theatre in Waterloo until 1976. The building you see today is right by the River Thames in the South Bank area of central London. The National Theatre doesn't just put on shows in its own building. It also sends its plays on tour to theatres all over the United Kingdom. Many of its shows have even gone to Broadway in New York and toured as far as China, Australia, and New Zealand.

In 1988, the theatre was allowed to add "Royal" to its name. However, people usually just call it the National Theatre. The theatre puts on many different kinds of plays. These include plays by William Shakespeare, other classic plays from around the world, and new plays by modern writers.

Bringing Theatre to Everyone

In June 2009, the National Theatre started a cool program called National Theatre Live (NT Live). This program broadcasts live performances from the theatre to cinemas. It started in the UK and then went worldwide. The first show was Phèdre, starring Helen Mirren. It was shown live in 70 cinemas across the UK. Since then, NT Live shows have been broadcast to over 2,500 places in 60 countries!

In November 2020, they launched National Theatre at Home. This is a streaming service where you can watch recordings of NT Live shows. New plays are added every month. You can "rent" them to watch for a short time, or get a monthly or yearly pass to watch as many as you like.

How the National Theatre Started

People in Britain had wanted a national theatre for a very long time.

Early Ideas for a National Theatre

Back in 1847, a writer named Dramaticus wrote about how British theatre needed to improve. Serious plays were only allowed in certain theatres. New plays also had to be approved by a special office. At the same time, many theatres showed simple dramas or musical comedies. Critics felt that theatre was too focused on making money and on famous actors.

People wanted a place to celebrate serious theatre. A "Shakespeare Committee" even bought the famous playwright's birthplace for the country. This showed how important "serious drama" was. For decades, there were calls for a National Theatre. In 1879, a famous French theatre company, the Comédie-Française, performed in London. The Times newspaper said they represented "the highest aristocracy of the theatre." This made people want a British national theatre even more.

The main goals for a National Theatre were:

A building in London to remember Shakespeare.
A theatre company that would put on the best quality plays.
A place to help spread the love of great plays as part of education across the country.

The Royal National Theatre as seen from the southwest

The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opened in Stratford upon Avon in 1879. Then, in 1904, Herbert Beerbohm Tree started an acting school, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. But London still didn't have its own national theatre. A group called the London Shakespeare League bought land in Bloomsbury in 1913 for a theatre. But World War I stopped this plan.

In 1910, the famous writer George Bernard Shaw wrote a play called The Dark Lady of the Sonnets. In it, Shakespeare himself tries to convince Queen Elizabeth I that a National Theatre is needed for his plays. This play was part of the long effort to build the theatre.

Making the Dream a Reality

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	12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. 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 offered a site near the Royal Festival Hall. So, the National Theatre Act 1949 was passed by Parliament, promising money for the theatre.

In 1962, agreements were finally made. A group was set up to build the theatre. Another group was formed to run the National Theatre Company. This company would use the Old Vic theatre for a while. The "National Theatre Company" opened on October 22, 1963, with Hamlet, starring Peter O'Toole. Laurence Olivier became the first artistic director. Famous actors like Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon were among the first to join the company.

Meanwhile, the new theatre building was designed by architects Sir Denys Lasdun and Peter Softley. It had three stages. These stages opened one by one between 1976 and 1977. The company stayed at the Old Vic until 1977, when the main stage, the Olivier, was ready.

The Theatre Building and Its Design

Entrance to the National Theatre

The National Theatre building has three main theatres inside. There was also a temporary theatre from 2013 to 2016.

The Main Theatres

Olivier Theatre

This is the main theatre, named after Laurence Olivier. It's designed like an ancient Greek theatre, with an open stage and seats for 1,160 people in a fan shape. It has a special "drum revolve" stage that can turn and move scenery quickly. This design helps make sure everyone in the audience has a great view.

Lyttelton Theatre

Named after Oliver Lyttelton, the first chairman of the theatre's board. This theatre has a traditional "picture frame" stage and seats 890 people.

Dorfman Theatre

Named after Lloyd Dorfman, a supporter of the theatre. This is the smallest and most flexible theatre, seating 400 people. It used to be called the Cottesloe Theatre. It was updated and reopened in 2014 with its new name.

Temporary Theatre

This theatre, also known as The Shed, was a small 225-seat theatre. It opened in 2013 and showed new plays. It closed in 2016 after the Dorfman Theatre was renovated.

Building Style

Detail of the National Theatre showing the texture of the concrete walls

The National Theatre building has a unique style. It uses a lot of concrete, which some people loved and others didn't. For example, Charles III once joked that it looked like a "nuclear power station." But others, like John Betjeman, thought it was a beautiful and important building.

Denys Lasdun's building for the National Theatre, with its many levels and views of St Paul's Cathedral and Somerset House.

Even with some debate, the theatre has been a special "Grade II*" listed building since 1994. This means it's an important historical building. Today, many people appreciate its design. A new lighting system at night makes the outside of the building look very impressive.

Inside the Theatre

The National Theatre's public areas are open to everyone. They have a big bookshop about theatre, restaurants, bars, and places for exhibitions. The outdoor areas are also used for free performances in the summer.

The Clore Learning Centre is a special place for learning at the National Theatre. It offers events and classes for all ages. You can learn about playwriting, technical skills, and more. These classes are often taught by the theatre's own artists and staff.

Actors' dressing rooms are arranged around a central open space. This means their windows face each other. Because of this, on the opening and closing nights of a play, actors have a tradition. When they are called to the stage, they go to their windows and drum on the glass with their hands!

You can also take tours behind the scenes. There's a special walkway where visitors can look into the workshops. This is where sets are built, painted, and props are made.

NT Future Project

In 2013, the "NT Future" project began. This was a big plan to update and improve the National Theatre complex. It cost about £80 million.

National Theatre Studio

The National Theatre Studio is a separate building across the road from the Old Vic. It used to be where the theatre's workshops were. Since 1984, it has been the National's research and development center. This is where new plays are developed and new ideas are explored.

The Studio building is also a Grade II listed building. It was designed by architects Lyons Israel Ellis and opened in 1958. It was updated in 2007.

National Theatre Live

National Theatre Live broadcasts performances from the National Theatre (and other theatres) to cinemas and arts centers around the world. It started in June 2009 with Helen Mirren in Phedre.

Some famous broadcasts include:

One Man, Two Guvnors with James Corden (2011)
Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller (2011)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2012)
Othello with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear (2013)

The performances are filmed with special cameras. This allows for great views of the show for cinema audiences.

Learning and Participation Programs

The National Theatre offers many programs for learning and getting involved in theatre.

National Theatre Connections

National Theatre Connections is a yearly festival for youth theatre groups across the UK. It started in 1995. The festival features ten new plays written for young people by top playwrights. Schools and youth groups perform these plays in their local areas. Some groups are then invited to perform their plays at the National Theatre itself!

National Theatre Collection

The National Theatre Collection is a free streaming service for schools and colleges worldwide. It's free for UK state schools. This service provides high-quality recordings of plays that are linked to school subjects. These plays are filmed in front of a live audience.

The service started in 2015 for UK secondary schools. In 2016, it expanded to primary schools. Some plays available include Frankenstein, Othello, and Jane Eyre. By 2018, over half of UK state secondary schools had signed up. The service even won an award in 2018!

In March 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Theatre Collection was made available for students and teachers to watch at home. Six new plays were added in April 2020, bringing the total to 30 productions.

Public Acts

Public Acts is a program that works with communities across the UK to create large-scale new plays. The first Public Acts show was Pericles in August 2018 at the National Theatre. The Guardian newspaper called it "a richly sung version with brilliant performances from a cast of hundreds."

Outdoor Festivals

River Stage

River Stage is the National Theatre's free outdoor summer festival. It takes place over five weekends outside the theatre. It also has food stalls and bars.

The festival features different groups each weekend, with the National Theatre planning the last weekend. Many different arts groups have taken part, offering a variety of performances. The festival started in 2015.

Watch This Space

Before River Stage, there was an annual festival called "Watch This Space." This was a free summer festival of outdoor theatre, circus, and dance. It had events for all ages, including workshops. It was replaced by the River Stage festival in 2015.

Artistic Directors

The Artistic Director is the main person in charge of the plays and artistic vision of the theatre.

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 the first artistic director of the National Theatre in 1963.

Laurence Olivier was the first artistic director when the National Theatre started in 1963. He was considered the best British actor of his time. He also helped create the company that became the National Theatre Company. He even continued to act in many successful plays while he was director. He stepped down in 1973.

Peter Hall took over next. He was in charge when the theatre moved to its new building on the South Bank. He directed many important plays for the theatre.

Richard Eyre became artistic director in 1988. He was known for working with writer David Hare on plays about modern Britain.

In 1997, Trevor Nunn became artistic director. He brought a more popular style to the National, directing famous musicals like My Fair Lady and Oklahoma!.

In 2003, Nicholas Hytner took over. He started the National Theatre Live program. He also created the Entry Pass scheme, which lets young people under 26 buy tickets for only £7.50!

Rufus Norris became artistic director in 2015. He will be stepping down in 2025.

Looking east from Waterloo Bridge. You can see St Paul's Cathedral and other buildings, with the lit-up National Theatre on the right.

Famous Plays at the National Theatre

Here are some of the many famous plays that have been performed at the National Theatre:

1963–1973

Hamlet, directed by Laurence Olivier, with Peter O'Toole (1963)
Othello, with Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith (1964)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard (1967)
The Merchant of Venice, with Laurence Olivier as Shylock (1970)
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, with Maggie Smith (1970)

1974–1987

The Tempest with John Gielgud (1974)
No Man's Land by Harold Pinter, with Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud (1975)
Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, with Paul Scofield (1979–80)
Guys and Dolls, the National's first musical (1982)
Pravda with Anthony Hopkins (1985)

1988–1997

Richard III starring Ian McKellen (1990)
The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett, with Nigel Hawthorne (1991)
Angels in America by Tony Kushner (1991–92)
Carousel by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (1993)
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (1993)
A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim, with Judi Dench (1995)

1998–2002

Copenhagen by Michael Frayn (1998)
Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, with Hugh Jackman (1998)
Blue/Orange with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bill Nighy and Andrew Lincoln (2000)
South Pacific by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (2001)

2003–2014

Henry V with Adrian Lester (2003)
Jerry Springer: The Opera, a musical (2003)
The History Boys by Alan Bennett, with Richard Griffiths (2004)
War Horse (2007–2009)
Phèdre featuring Helen Mirren (2009)
Frankenstein, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller (2011)
One Man, Two Guvnors, with James Corden (2011)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2012)
Othello with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear (2013)

2015–present

Everyman starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (2015)
Angels in America starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane (2017)
Follies, a musical with Imelda Staunton (2017)
Network, starring Bryan Cranston (2017)
The Lehman Trilogy directed by Sam Mendes (2018)
Antony and Cleopatra starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo (2018)
The Crucible by Arthur Miller (2022)
Dear England by James Graham (2023)

Royal Patrons

A Royal Patron is a member of the Royal Family who supports an organization.

Queen Elizabeth II (1974–2019)
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (January 2019–February 2021)
Queen Camilla (March 2022–present)

Images for kids

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