Help centre FAQs

We do not offer refunds but we can issue you with credit on your National Theatre account in lieu of tickets you can no longer use.

You can then use this credit to pay for another booking for the same production, or for any other show bookable on this website.

We need at least 24 hours notice before the start of the show for this service.

If your performance takes place over 24 hours from now and you would like to exchange your tickets for credit, please log in to your account and select Upcoming events. You can then view your ticket details and submit a request to exchange some or all of your tickets for credit.

A fee of £4 per performance returned will be deducted from the value of your tickets for this online service. Young Patron Premium , Young Patron Ambassador, Supporting Cast, Patron, Life Benefactor, Premier Patron, Benefactor and Olivier Circle members are exempt from this fee if returning tickets online.

A separate fee of £4 per ticket will apply to tickets exchanged by phone or in person.

Read our full ticketing terms and conditions.

Online

Tickets can booked online and are available up to 30 minutes before a performance starts.
There is no fee for online bookings on our website.
Visit what’s on to select your preferred show and date.

By phone

To book tickets by phone, call 020 3989 5455 from 9.30am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 6pm on Saturdays and Bank Holidays.
A £3 fee per transaction applies to phone bookings.
For information about ticket exchange options, see above

In person

Tickets can be booked in person from 10am-6pm, Monday to Saturday. After 6pm, we can only help with ticket sales for that night’s performances.

Access bookings

To book Disabled concession tickets and for any additional support you may require, please call our Access line 020 7452 3961 from 11am-6pm, Monday to Saturday, midday to 6pm on Bank Holidays.
Our Access pages have more detailed information for users with specific access requirements.

Group bookings

To book tickets for a group of 10 or more, call 020 7452 3010 from 11am-6pm, Monday to Saturday, midday to 6pm on Bank Holidays.

Seats are limited to 9 per customer per show and our cheapest £20 seats may be limited to 2 per customer for some productions with limited seat availability.

To book tickets for a group of 10 or more, call our Groups booking line 020 7452 3010 from 11am-6pm, Monday to Saturday.

Yes, all over-60s can save on midweek matinees with £20 off £66 and £56 tickets for our shows in the Lyttelton and Olivier theatres.

For shows in the Dorfman Theatre, higher priced tickets are reduced to £36 for midweek matinees.

The discount price is available to select when you have clicked on a seat in a seating plan and the price/s available will be displayed.

Visit our ways to save for information about this and other concessionary rates.

We have a wide range of low-priced and concessionary tickets available.

Visit our ways to save page for details.

For “sold out” performances, there are still two chances of booking tickets:

1. £10 Friday Rush tickets: Every Friday at 1pm, £10 Friday Rush tickets are released online for the following week’s performances.
Please note that we do not hold back tickets for release on the day of the performance.

2. Check back online regularly for any updates to availability – we often have tickets returned to us by customers who are no longer able to attend, even on the day of the performance.

Tickets returned to us by customers who can no longer attend will be made available to buy online at their face value, and can be booked up to 30 minutes before the performance.

See our ways to save page for more details.

Standing spaces may be made available for sold out productions at the discretion of the Box Office.

£10 Standing tickets are available for the sold out run of The Importance of Being Earnest and are released online for the following week’s performances as part of Friday Rush.

Standing tickets are not currently available for Ballet Shoes.

Our Friday Rush scheme offers cheaper tickets for shows at the National Theatre, closer to the day of the performance. Selected performances of our West End transfers may also offer Friday Rush tickets.

Every Friday at 1pm a limited number of £10 tickets for the following week’s performances are released to buy online from our Friday Rush page.

You can buy up to two Friday Rush tickets for each production. If you have already bought two tickets for one particular production, you won’t be able to buy further Friday Rush tickets for the same show in future weeks.

Please note: Friday Rush tickets are not transferable – if the person who has booked Friday Rush tickets is unable to attend, they should contact the Box office to ask about exchanging their tickets: boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk.

Friday Rush Tickets are not available for Talks, Tours and other one-off events.

To make the booking process as quick as possible, we recommend you have your username and password to hand if you already have an account, or register in advance.

Tickets will be delivered via email as an e-ticket, as a file that you can download onto your mobile phone, or which can be printed at home if you prefer.

If you are unable to use e-tickets, please come to the ground floor Box Office from one hour before the start of your show and we will print paper tickets for you.

Yes, Gift vouchers are available to buy at any amount.

Gift vouchers can be used to pay for tickets, memberships and donations on our website.

No, we are currently only offering e-tickets, as pdfs. You will receive these via email after booking, and you can print them at home or show them on a mobile device.

We recommend that you download your tickets to your phone prior to arrival at the theatre.

Please aim to arrive 30 minutes before the performance if possible.

Our performances start at the time stated on your ticket and attendees not seated in the auditorium by this time may not be able to be admitted.

For the National Theatre on the South Bank

Bags smaller than 50cm x 30cm x 20cm can be taken into the auditorium.

All other bags must be left in the cloakroom on the ground floor.

Please note, that to keep everyone safe, all bags are searched upon entry to the building.

For West End theatres where a National Theatre production has transferred

Large bags are also not permitted into the auditoriums of our West End productions, and currently cloakrooms are unavailable so if you have a large bag you will be refused entry to the theatre.

Details on how to get to the National Theatre can be found in the Getting here section of Your visit, including our car parking and bicycle storage facilities

The National Theatre’s car park is located under the building. The entrance ramp is on the southwest corner of the building, accessible from Upper Ground (the street that runs behind the National Theatre building).

The lifts from the Car Park to the main building foyers are open from 10am to 11pm Monday to Saturday. Please note, that on days with no performances, this exit from the car park will close at 6pm.
For opening times, please see the information on the Getting here and Your visit pages.

We have a taxi drop off outside Stage Door, allowing a step-free route around to the river-front side of the building, however this is a relatively long walk.

Should you require use of a wheelchair, please contact us on boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk and we will arrange one to be available on arrival.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for staff to assist with pushing wheelchairs.

The National Theatre building on the South Bank is home to the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres. Visit Our spaces for more details.

National Theatre shows often transfer to the West End and tour in the UK.

See what’s on and what’s coming up in our South Bank theatre and any West End transfers and tours on our What’s on listing.

Information on the National Theatre shows which are currently performing in the West End and other London venues can be found on our What’s on listings.

Tickets for our West End production can be booked with the National Theatre online. Tickets are also available from the presenting theatres. Details can be found on the What’s on listings.

Tickets for our touring productions are available from the individual local venues. You will find links to them on the individual show page for each tour.

The Archive is located at the National Theatre Studio on The Cut, London SE1 8LL. It is open to the public by appointment.

Details can be found on the Archive page.

For productions in the Olivier and Lyttelton theatres, please go to the front of the building, by the riverside, and for productions in the Dorfman theatre, please go to entrance on the east side of the building, on Stage Door Avenue, opposite the IBM building.

Please be aware that some entrances have steps. If you require step-free access please contact boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk so they can assist you with your booking.

If you haven’t visited the National Theatre before, please view our map to familiarise yourselves with entry points.

Yes. Our performance bars are open 1 hour prior to the start of the performance and during intervals. Find out about all or resturants and bars. The Bookshop is open from 10am.

No. All our payment points are set up to take card payments only.

Yes. Free wi-fi is available throughout our foyer areas. The network name is NT Public and does not require a password. If you have trouble accessing our wi-fi, please visit the box office on the ground floor for information and assistance.

We recommend that you download your tickets to your phone prior to arrival at the theatre.

Yes, programmes are available from sales desks near the auditorium entrances at performance times and from the Bookshop on the ground floor. Speak to front-of-house staff if you require any assistance.

Our ground floor cloakroom is open for ticket-holders to leave coats and bags.

Bags larger thanthan 50cm x 30cm x 20cm must be left at the ground floor cloakroom.

Our usual security measures are also in place, and to keep everyone safe staff will search all bags on arrival.

Our team oversee enhanced cleaning of public areas between every show, and all toilets are deep cleaned during each performance.

We have a complex and efficient ventilation system in place within the large Olivier auditorium. Fresh air, which is conditioned and filtered, is supplied constantly throughout the performance, and is not recycled or recirculated.

Yes, National Theatre Guided Tours journey behind the scenes to see into our carpentry, props and scenic painting workshops to discover how we create our world class productions, plus explore the design of this renowned building, including our three auditoriums.

For more information please visit our Tours page.

Photography and filming is not permitted in any of our auditoriums but ticket-holders are welcome to take pictures in our foyers to document your visit to the National Theatre.

Filming or commercial photography must be arranged in advance. For more details and how to contact us visit our Filming and photography page.

For the Olivier theatre, your ticket will state if you are seated in the Stalls/Level 2 or Circle/Level 3 and then which door/aisle you should use on that level to enter the auditorium.

In the Lyttelton theatre, signs by each entrance indicate the seat numbers which determine the entrance you should choose to enter the auditorium.

In the Dorfman theatre, your ticket will state which door to use to enter the auditorium and staff will direct you once inside.

In all three theatres there will be a member of staff at each door to assist at all times.

Yes. Information about step-free access is contained in the Theatre pages in the Our spaces section of Your visit.

If you need to leave the auditorium during the performance, our staff will readmit if possible.

However, depending on where you are sitting we may not be able to but you will be able to watch the remainder of that act on a large screen in the foyer.

The bars in the foyers are not open after evening performances, but The Understudy is open from midday to late – details of The Understudy’s opening times can be found here.

Our cafes and some bars will be open after matinee performances.

Any items found within the National Theatre building are passed onto the security team. You can contact Security to check if your item has been handed in by calling 020 7452 3473.

If you have lost an item in the National Theatre building, please contact Security on 020 7452 3473 to check if it has been handed in. You will then be able to arrange collection of the item from Stage Door during our opening times.

You can choose to subscribe by the month, year or just rent a single play.

Subscription

•  Monthly subscription £9.98 / US$12.99 + tax
• Annual subscription £99.98 / US$129.99 + tax – 12 months for the price of 10.

Rent

• National Theatre Archive play recording £5.99 / US$7.99 + tax
• National Theatre Live play recording £7.99 / US$9.99 + tax

Other international currencies available, please visit the check-out pages on ntathome.com for pricing in your country.

New titles are added to the service monthly.

For a full list of titles currently streaming on National Theatre at Home, visit the website

National Theatre at Home is available to watch worldwide. However, some titles may not be available in your country due to rights restrictions.

Follow these easy steps to rent a play for 3 days from National Theatre at Home:

1. Visit ntathome.com/products
2. Choose the single play you want to rent.
3. Create an account by entering your email and setting a password.
4.  Enter a payment method. You can pay by Visa, MasterCard, & American Express credit & debit cards.
   Unfortunately, you cannot pay by PayPal at this time
5. If you have any problems, please visit the Vimeo Help Centre.

That’s it! Enjoy watching National Theatre at Home.

Follow these easy steps to subscribe and start watching National Theatre at Home today:

1. Visit ntahome.com/checkout/subscribe
2. Choose the subscription option that is right for you
   Monthly subscribers will be charged each month for full access to the platform. And you can cancel anytime.
   Annual subscribers will only be charged once and will enjoy full access to the platform for 12 months for the price of 10.
3. Create an account by entering your email and setting a password.
4.  Enter a payment method. You can pay by Visa, MasterCard, & American Express credit & debit cards. Unfortunately, you cannot pay by PayPal at this time
5.  If you have any problems, please visit the Vimeo Help Centre.

That’s it! Enjoy watching National Theatre at Home.

If you subscribe to National Theatre at Home, you will get unlimited access to all available plays. You can also enjoy early access to new plays that are added every month and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

You can choose to subscribe month-by-month, or annually, and you can cancel anytime.

If you rent a single play, you will get access to this play only, and have three days (72-hours) to finish watching it once you click the play button. Make sure you finish it within this window as there are no extensions once the 72-hour period ends.

You can rent a play for 3 days (72 hours).

Once you have purchased the play, you will receive an email confirmation. When you press play to start the play you have rented, you have three days (72 hours) from this point to finish watching.

At the end of the third day, after 72 hours, you will no longer have access to the play. Remember when you started your play to make sure you get to watch the play in full and don’t miss out!

If you subscribe to National Theatre at Home, you can watch our available catalogue of plays whenever you want, with no time restrictions.

No, unfortunately not. The National Theatre at Home platform is not connected to the National Theatre website, and so vouchers cannot be used for National Theatre at Home payments. Vouchers can only be used to buy standard theatre tickets and memberships on the main National Theatre website.

Please go to the National Theatre Help Centre for more information on how you can use your vouchers.

No, National Theatre at Home is for individual personal use only. Using the platform in this way would be against our terms of service.

However, the good news is we already have a streaming service for schools and educational institutions called National Theatre Collection. Its programme is curated for learning, and it includes full play recordings and supporting educational resources that can be accessed worldwide.

You can find out more here.

There are a few different ways you can watch our plays on your TV or Smart TV, depending on your set up at home. You can use our TV app, cast via Chromecast or Airplay with Apple devices, or you can use a HDMI cable.

Visit the Vimeo help centre for more information on how to watch our plays on your TV.

The steps to cancel your National Theatre at Home subscription will depend on how you signed up

• If you signed up within an Apple iOS or Apple TV app, follow the steps here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039
• If you signed up within a Google Play or Android app, follow the steps here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7018481
• If you signed up within the Roku channel, follow the steps here: https://support.roku.com/article/208756478-how-do-i-manage-or-cancel-a-subscription
• If you signed up with Amazon, follow the steps here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GDT2SXJJ7K49JKYE

If you signed up on the National Theatre at Home website, you can cancel your subscription by logging into your account and following the steps below:

1. Click on your circular profile icon in the top right corner of the screen and select ‘manage subscription’.
2. Choose to cancel instead of one of the pause options if you do not want to be charged again.
3. Finally, confirm the choice to cancel.

When you cancel, you will receive an email confirmation. When you cancel your subscription, video access will exist until the next charging cycle, but you will not be charged further.

Please note: If you signed up and paid on the website, you can only cancel via the website (and not via apps).

All of our plays and video content on National Theatre at Home are captioned with optional subtitles.

For more information about how to turn on captions, please visit the Vimeo Help Centre.

A selection of plays offer British Sign Language.

You can find more information about our BSL titles on the National Theatre at Home website.

National Theatre Live is the National Theatre’s groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre live from the London stage to cinemas across the UK and around the world.

National Theatre Live launched in June 2009 with a broadcast of the National Theatre production of Phèdre with Helen Mirren. Our broadcast of Nye with Michael Sheen, on 23 April 2024, reached our 100th production shared from the National Theatre, and on occasion other theatres in the UK and around the world.

For more information, please visit the National Theatre Live website.

Selected performances from the National Theatre and other producers are screened. To find out what’s being shown at cinemas through National Theatre Live, visit the National Theatre Live website.

We only offer the broadcasts through the screenings in partner venues for a limited time-frame. We are passionate about preserving the live, communal experience and the sense of event through these big screen exhibitions.

Many of our National Theatre Live screenings are now available on National Theatre at Home, our online streaming service. Visit the National Theatre at Home website.

Yes, we aim to repeat NT Live screenings (known as encore screenings) in participating cinemas when possible. Please visit the NT Live website for more information.

To see a National Theatre Live production at a cinema, please visit the NT Live venues page to find your local cinema and book through their website.