The Archive
The National Theatre Archive is the repository for the administrative and technical records of the National Theatre. The collection covers the period from the inception of the company in 1963 to the present day. Material accessible to the public includes programmes, posters, photographs, videos, sound recordings of Platform events, press cuttings, prompt scripts, production drawings, costume, lighting, and sound information. The Archive also holds the records of the Shakespeare Memorial National Theatre Trust (1908) and the South Bank Theatre Board.
These pages are designed as a virtual showcase for the history of the National Theatre, displaying images of the various media held by the Archive. One can navigate around the sections of this site via the links below and to the left of the page and within the sections via the links that appear on the right-hand side of each page.
History | Paintings | Shakespeare | document feature |
Publications | Past Productions | Video | Collection |
A catalogue for the research material in the collection is accessible via the 'Catalogue' link on the left side of this page. The Catalogue contains two inter-linked databases: the Archive Catalogue and the NT Performance Database. The NT Performance Database contains details of every play ever staged by the National Theatre. The NT Archive Catlogue contains entries for the items held in the Archive collection.
Whatever your query, whether about past productions, the general history of the National, or the National's home on the South Bank, the NT Archive can provide the answers. An enquiry form is available in the 'Contact the Archive' page.
Archive Display
The current display in the Archive is 'Foreign Language Plays at the NT' and includes photographs, posters, costume designs and press reviews.
