National Theatre Season Brochure
January – March 2010
National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
No booking fee
Online
Select your own seat online nationaltheatre.org.uk/tickets
For an online version of this brochure
nationaltheatre.org.uk/season
By phone
020 7452 3000
Mon – Sat, 9.30am – 8pm
Sun 12pm – 3pm on performance days
(4.15pm when Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is performed)
By fax
020 7452 3030
In person
Mon – Sat, 9.30am – 8pm
Sun 12pm – 3pm on performance days
Public Holiday opening hourse
2 April: theatre closed
5 April: by phone from 9.30am, in person from 4pm
(including the sale of Day Seats).
Innovation at the National Theatre is sponsored by Accenture
The Shell Series: Classic Drama at the National Theatre
Philips and the National Theatre working in partnership to reduce energy consumption
The National Theatre is working in creative partnership with Corbis on photographs for its 2009 season
The National Theatre’s Airline Partner American Airlines
Programme details are published in good faith, but changes
may occasionally be necessary.
Registered Charity No. 224223
Shows
London Assurance
Really Old, Like Forty Five
The White Guard
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Nation
The Habit of Art
The Power of Yes
The Pitmen Painters
The 14th Tale
The Twelfth Night
The Cat in the Hat
War horse
NT Live
Platforms
NT Bookshop
More from the National Theatre
Free Exhibitions
Backstage Tours
Gift vouchers
Free Live Music
Costume and Prop Hire
NT Membership
Eating and Drinking at the National Theatre
Ticketing Information
Box Office
Concessions
Theatres
Ticket Exchange
For Your Safety and Comfort
London Assurance
by Dion Boucicaultt
Olivier Theatre, from 2 March
I am about to present society with a second Lady Courtly: young – blushing eighteen; lovely – I have her portrait; rich – I have her banker’s account. An heiress and a Venus!
Sir Harcourt Courtly is lured away from the epicentre of fashionable London by the promise of a rich and beautiful bride, Grace, several decades his junior. Arriving at Oak Hall, Gloucestershire, he marvels at this rural Venus until her charms are eclipsed by her hearty cousin, the foxhunting Lady Gay Spanker. Meanwhile his disguised son turns up in flight from his creditors and falls head over heels for Grace. When Lady Spanker discovers the young couple, she needs little prompting from the visiting chancer Dazzle to lead Sir Harcourt astray.
Give me the trumpet neigh, the spotted pack just catching scent. What a chorus in their yelp! The view-halloo, blent with a peal of free and fearless mirth! That’s our old English music – match it where you can.
Dion Boucicault, the Irish genius of London theatre in the age of Dickens, wrote the brilliantly funny London Assurance in 1841 and thereby created – in Sir Harcourt and Lady Spanker – two of the great comic roles of the English stage, played at the NT by Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw.
Cast includes
Paul Ready
Simon Russell Beale
Fiona Shaw
Michelle Terry
Director Nicholas Hytner
Designer Mark Thompson
Lighting Designer Neil Austin
Music Rachel Portman
Sound Designer John Leonard
Sponsored by Shell
BACK TO TOP
Really Old, Like Forty Five
a new play by Tamsin Oglesby
Cottesloe Theatre, World Premiere, from 27 January
You can sit there with your knit knit knitting but some of us have places to go, some of us are still ready to strip the light fandango before we shuffle off, so don’t tell me what to do.
There are just too many old people. As a government research body seeks to deal with the problems of a maturing population,
a family addresses its own. Lyn’s memory starts to go, Alice takes a fall and even Robbie has to face the signs of ageing. Relations are put to the test across three generations. As are those who enter the increasingly sinister world of State Care.
I don’t see how you can legislate for all old people this way. What’s the cut off?
Tamsin Oglesby’s furious comedy confronts head-on our embarrassment and fear about old age. It exposes a society in which compassion vies with pragmatism and, by asking unequivocal questions, it comes up with some extraordinary answers.
Oh they’d have a choice, yes.
If they choose quality of life over cure.
Quality of life has always been an option.
Cast
Lucy May Barker
Paul Bazely
Amelia Bullmore
Tanya Franks
Gawn Grainger
Thomas Jordan
Michela Meazza
Judy Parfitt
Paul Ritter
Marcia Warren
Director Anna Mackmin
Designer Lez Brotherston
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson
Video Designers Mark Grimmer with Lysander Ashton
Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Audio-Described performances Friday 26 February at 7.30pm, Saturday 27 February at 7.30pm (Touch Tour at 6pm)
Captioned performance Wednesday 17 March at 7.30pm
The White Guard
by Mikhail Bulgakov
in a new version by Andrew Upton
Lyttelton Theatre, from 15 March
See? All we need is… a map and… some kind of plan.
Following the successes of Russian epics Burnt by the Sun and Philistines, the National stages Andrew Upton’s vigorous new version of Mikhail Bulgakov’s rarely performed masterpiece, unrivalled in its depiction of the near-farcical mayhem of civil war across a vast and vivid canvas.
This overcoat is neutral darling, neither Bolshevik nor Menshevik. Just essence of Prole.
In Kiev during the Russian Civil War, the Turbin household is sanctuary to a ragtag, close-knit crowd presided over by the beautiful Lena. As her brothers prepare to fight for the White Guard, friends charge in from the riotous streets amidst an atmosphere of heady chaos, quaffing vodka, keeling over, declaiming, taking baths, playing guitar, falling in love. But the new regime is poised and in its brutal triumph lies destruction for the Turbins and their world.
And those are the real enemies we face, deep in the shadows. This modern man with no name, no past, no love. This desperate hate-filled man born of loneliness and frustration. This man with nothing to be proud of, nothing he is part of…
Cast includes
Pip Carter
Paul Higgins
Conleth Hill
Justine Mitchell
Director Howard Davies
Designer Bunny Christie
Lighting Designer Neil Austin
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
a play for actors and orchestra
by Tom Stoppard and André Previn
Olivier Theatre, 9 January – 17 February,
Running time 65mins, no interval
Following a sell-out run in 2009, this electrifying production returns for 41 performances only.
Five stars
‘A superb revival.’
The Times
Five stars
Time Out
‘An all-encompassing piece of total theatre.’
Guardian
‘Startlingly original and ambitious. The production, by Felix Barrett and Tom Morris, with Simon Over conducting the versatile Southbank Sinfonia, memorably captures the distinctive mixture of wit, indignation and emotional depth.’
Daily Telegraph
‘Theatrically and intellectually vital… dazzles with its wit and invention.’
Sunday Times
Cast includes
Jonathan Aris
Lizzie Barker
Julian Bleach
Jason Cheater
Pandora Colin
Shea Davis
Sarah Dowling
Conor Doyle
Geir Hytten
Rob McNeill
Emily Mytton
Wesley Nelson
Fernanda Prata
Vinicius Salles
Adrian Schiller
Dan Winter
Orchestra Southbank Sinfonia
Conductor Simon Over
Directors Felix Barrett and Tom Morris
Designer Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer Bruno Poet
Choreographer Maxine Doyle
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Audio-Described performances Friday 5 February at 7pm,
Saturday 6 February at 3pm (Touch Tour at 1.30pm)
Captioned performance Saturday 13 February at 3pm and 7pm
Nation
based on a novel by Terry Pratchett
adapted by Mark Ravenhill
World Premiere, Olivier Theatre, until 28 March
Approx running time 2 hours 45 minutes
There’s no demons, no gods. Just me. And the waves and the sun and birth and death. And there’s no reason for anything. I’m sorry: that’s just the way it seems to me.
A parallel world, 1860. Two teenagers thrown together by a tsunami that has destroyed Mau’s village and left Daphne shipwrecked on his South Pacific island, thousands of miles from home.
One wears next to nothing, the other a long white dress; neither speaks the other’s language; somehow they must learn to survive. As starving refugees gather, Daphne delivers a baby, milks a pig, brews beer and does battle with a mutineer. Mau fights cannibal Raiders, discovers the world is round and questions the reality of his tribe’s fiercely patriarchal gods. Together they come of age, overseen by a foul-mouthed parrot, as they discard old doctrine to forge a new Nation.
Following His Dark Materials, Coram Boy and War Horse, the National stages Mark Ravenhill’s exhilarating adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s latest witty and challenging adventure story.
Live music, dance and extraordinary puppets combine to bring to life the world of Nation.
Cast
David Ajala
Gaye Brown
Gary Carr
Paul Chahidi
Elaine Claxton
Adrian Decosta
Mike Denman
Lorna Gayle
Nancy Wei George
Howard Gossington
Tony Hasnath
Robert Hastie
Amy Loughton
Michelle Lukes
Nick Malinowski
Michael Mears
Itxaso Moreno
Al Nedjari
Bhasker Patel
Nicholas Rowe
Sirine Saba
Gurpreet Singh
Craig Stein
David Sterne
Emily Taaffe
Jason Thorpe
Ewart James Walters
Director Melly Still
Set Designers Melly Still with Mark Friend
Costume Designer Dinah Collin
Puppets & Puppetry Yvonne Stone
Lighting Designer Paul Anderson
Projection Designers Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington
Music Adrian Sutton
Sound Designer Paul Arditti
Captioned performance Saturday 20 February at 2pm
Audio-Described performance Saturday 27 March at 2pm
(Touch Tour at 12.30pm)
Sponsored by Accenture
The Habit of Art
a new play by Alan Bennett
World Premiere, Lyttelton Theatre, now playing
Approx running time 2 hours 25 minutes
When I was a young man, I was smooth-skinned.
I was said once to look like a Swedish deck-hand.
I still may, of course. Who knows what Swedish deck-hands look like in the evening of their lives?
Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera, Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W H Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first for nearly twenty years, they are observed and interrupted by, amongst others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station.
You are a rent boy. I am a poet. Over the wall lives the Dean of Christ Church. We all have our parts to play.
Alan Bennett’s new play is as much about the theatre as it is about poetry or music. It looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, and at the ethics of biography. It reflects on growing old, on creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion’s spent: ultimately, on the habit of art.
You don’t believe in restraint. I do. And I hope I never see the day when in opera or in drama there is nothing that cannot be sung or said. A time of no limits.
Cast
Tom Attwood
Laurence Belcher
Danny Burns
Martin Chamberlain
Philip Childs
Frances de la Tour
Otto Farrant
Toby Graham
Richard Griffiths
John Heffernan
Alex Jennings
Barbara Kirby
Elliot Levey
Adrian Scarborough
Stephen Wight
Director Nicholas Hytner
Designer Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson
Music Matthew Scott
Sound Designer Paul Groothuis
Captioned performance Sunday 31 January at 3pm
The Power of Yes
by David Hare
World Premiere, Lyttelton Theatre, now playing
Running time 1 hour 45 minutes, no interval
More dates on sale, owing to public demand.
Five stars
Daily Mail
Four stars
Guardian, Sunday Times, Sunday Express
‘Not only enlightening – financially and psychologically – but biting, witty fun.’ New Statesman
‘Engrossing… asks questions to which we all want to know the answers.’ Guardian
‘If you want to understand the banking crisis, you should go to the theatre.’ Independent, Opinion & Debate
‘An exhilarating lecture on the banking crisis… delivered with wonderful clarity, and riveting.’ Sunday Times
‘For anyone wanting a dramatic explanation of the crisis, this is a tour de force’ Observer, Business
On 15 September 2008, capitalism came to a grinding halt.
As sub-prime mortgages continued to dominate the headlines,
David Hare wrote an urgent and immediate work that sought to find out what happened, and why.
Cast
Julien Ball
Ian Bartholomew
Anthony Calf
Richard Cordery
Jonathan Coy
Mark Elstob
Paul Freeman
Ian Gelder
John Hollingworth
Bruce Myers
Claire Price
Jeff Rawle
Christian Roe
Jemima Rooper
Malcolm Sinclair
Peter Sullivan
Nicolas Tennant
Alan Vicary
Simon Williams
Lizzie Winkler
Director Angus Jackson
Designer Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Music Stephen Warbeck
Sound Designer John Leonard
Video & Projection Designers Jon Driscoll with Gemma Carrington
Captioned performance Wednesday 24 February at 2.15pm
Audio-Described performance
Saturday 17 April at 2.15pm (Touch Tour at 12.45pm)
The Pitmen Painters
by Lee Hall
inspired by a book by William Feaver
Lyttelton Theatre, until 7 February
Running time 2 hours 30 minutes
Following a UK Tour, Lee Hall’s award-winning smash hit returns to the National, with the acclaimed original cast.
Best New Play – Evening Standard Awards
Five stars
Evening Standard, Daily Express, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Express
‘A glorious instant classic. Perfectly pitched and acted... funny and illuminating. ’
Evening Standard
‘A play about the importance of not just feeding your stomach and your brain, but about feeding your soul. And it does just that.’
Guardian
‘A beautiful work of art that everybody should see.’
The Times
‘Inspired, witty, serious and humbling... feisty writing and astonishingly fine performances.’
Daily Mail
A humorous and deeply moving play about a group of Ashington miners who, after beginning art appreciation classes, went on to produce work that was widely admired and collected; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine.
Cast
Christopher Connel
Trevor Fox
Michael Hodgson
Ian Kelly
Brian Lonsdale
Lisa McGrillis
Simon Markey
Romy Tennant
Deka Walmsley
David Whitaker
Phillippa Wilson
Director Max Roberts
Designer Gary McCann
Lighting Designer Douglas Kuhrt
Sound Designer Martin Hodgson
A co-production between Live Theatre, Newcastle and the National Theatre.
Sponsored by Accenture
BACK TO TOP
Fuel presents Inua Ellams’
The 14th Tale
World Premiere. Cottesloe Theatre, 9 February – 13 March
Running time 55 minutes (no interval)
I’m from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk.
The 14th Tale is a free-flowing narrative that tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to the rooftops of Dublin, and finally to London.
Ellams vividly recreates the characters that punctuate his upbringing in deft and beautiful poetry, while challenging the audience’s expectations of what it is to be a young, black male in London today.
‘London’s hottest new spoken word talent.’
The Times
‘The 14th Tale comes as a sharp reminder of the power of language and rhythm in theatre, and of how dramatic poetry can create whole worlds through the voice of a single performer.’
The Scotsman
Written and performed by Inua Ellams
Director Thierry Lawson
Lighting Designer Michael Nabarro
A BAC Scratch Commission with Apples & Snakes.
A London Word Festival Commission. Funded by Arts Council England.
discover: primary classics
Twelfth Night
by William Shakespeare
in a version by Carl Heap
Suitable for schools and families with children aged 8yrs+.
Cottesloe Theatre, 16 – 27 February
Running time 70 minutes (no interval)
Nothing that is so is so.
A stormy night, a shipwreck, some cunning capers and concealments. All this results in a love tangle to rival no other, and a whole heap of mischief and mayhem in Shakespeare’s most captivating comedy.
Following the success of last year’s production of Macbeth, Carl Heap returns to direct Twelfth Night – the National Theatre’s touring production for younger audiences.
Seven actors play multiple characters and instruments in this engaging and inventive production. Perhaps the best introduction for a child, not only to Shakespeare, but to the transforming magic of theatre itself.
Cast to be announced
Director Carl Heap
Set and Mask Design Miriam Nabarro
Costume Design Mila Sanders
Mask & Movement Coach Marcello Magni
Music Joe Townsend
Primary Classics is supported by: The Behrens Foundation,
The Ernest Cook Trust, The Ingram Trust, The MacRobert Trust,
Peter Minet Trust and The Topinambour Trust.
Related workshops for children and families are available during the run.
Dr Seus’s
The Cat in the Hat at The Young Vic
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1, 28 January – 13 March
Running time approx 50 minutes
Following a sold-out run at the National Theatre, Dr Seuss’s
The Cat in the Hat will play at the Maria Theatre at the Young Vic from 28 January.
From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the cat in the hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met.
With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he is certainly fun to play with.
And he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure.
But what will mum find when she gets home...?
The production is a lively, engaging first theatre experience for 3-6-year-olds. Based on the much-loved book by Dr. Seuss, this tale has been colourfully adapted for the stage by director Katie Mitchell.
Cast
Mark Arends
Luisa Guerreiro
Sandra Guerreiro
Helena Lymbery
Justin Salinger
Angus Wright
Director Katie Mitchell
Designer Vicki Mortimer
Lighting Designer Jon Clark
Music Paul Clark
Movement Director Joseph Alford
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
Tickets: Under-18yrs: £8; Adults £10 (£12 if not accompanied by a child). Book online at nationaltheatre.org.uk
or call the Young Vic Box Office on 020 7922 2922.
The Cat in the Hat at the National Theatre is sponsored by
Neptune Investment Management
War Horse in the West End
based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo
adapted by Nick Stafford
New London Theatre, Drury Lane, WC2, Now playing
Running time 2 hours 40 minutes
The National Theatre’s award-winning production continues its record-breaking run at the New London Theatre. Now booking until October 2010.
Five Stars
Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times,
Sunday Express, The Times
‘Genius isn’t too strong a word to describe this astonishing production.’
Daily Telegraph
‘If ever a piece of theatre worked magic then it must be War Horse.’
Evening Standard
‘Be sure not to miss this stunning show.’
The Times
Actors, working with astonishing life-sized puppets, take audiences on an unforgettable journey through history.
For ticket prices and performance dates visit
warhorselondon.com
Great prices for under-18yrs.
Cast
James Barriscale
Gregory Bartlett
Michael Brett
Simon Bubb
Matthew Burgess
Killian Burke
Finn Caldwell
Laura Cubitt
David Emmings
Robert Emms
Jack Gordon
Robin Guiver
Stephen Harper
Bettrys Jones
Avye Leventis
Jonathan Livingstone
Colin Mace
Eamonn O’Dwyer
Patrick O’Kane
Toby Olié
Ian Piears
Malcolm Ridley
Ruth Rogers
William Rycroft
Rachel Sanders
Anthony Shuster
Matthew Spencer
Matt Tait
Ben Thompson
Howard Ward
Roger Wilson
Directors Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris
Designer/Drawings Rae Smith
Puppet Design and Fabrication Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Director of Movement and Horse Choreography Toby Sedgwick
Puppetry Directors Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler
Video Designers Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for Fifty Nine Productions Ltd
Music Adrian Sutton
Songmaker John Tams
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Puppetry Associates Craig Leo and Mervyn Millar
Associate Director Alex Sims
In association with Handspring Puppet Company
Presented by the National Theatre and National Angels
Sponsored by Accenture
National Theatre broadcast live to cinema screens around the world The second show in the NT Live season, All’s Well That Ends Well, enjoyed great success throughout the world, playing in 21 countries, and over 300 venues. New venues and countries continue to join this exciting series.
Plays in the NT Live season are filmed in high definition and broadcast via satellite to venues in the UK and worldwide.
Following the NT Live matinee performance of Terry Pratchett’s Nation on Saturday 30 January, the season continues with Alan Bennett’s new play, The Habit of Art on Thursday 22 April.
To find out if Nation and The Habit of Art are at a cinema near you, subscribe to email updates and watch video trailers, visit
www.ntlive.com
NT Live is supported internationally by Travelex
NT Live is funded in partnership with Arts Council England and NESTA
NT Live Nation is supported by The Michael Marks Charitable Trust
Platforms
6pm (45mins) £3.50 / £2.50 (unless stated)
BS These Platforms are followed by a book signing.
Buy your copy from the NT Bookshop.
Terry Pratchett
Tue 19 Jan, Olivier
One of our most imaginative writers talks about his work, as Nation continues to play in the Olivier.
Felix Barrett and Tom Morris on Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Mon 25 Jan, 5.30pm, Olivier
As Tom Stoppard and André Previn’s play for actors and orchestra returns, the directors discuss the production.
David Dimbleby
Wed 3 Feb, Lyttelton BS
David Dimbleby’s The Seven Ages of Britain uncovers the story of how British art reflects our history and heralds the major events of each era.
Anna Mackmin and Tamsin Oglesby on Really Old, Like Forty Five
Fri 5 Feb, Cottesloe
Tamsin Oglesby talks with her director Anna Mackmin about this new play.
Stephen Sondheim
Wed 17 Feb, 5.30pm, Olivier
Stephen Sondheim’s work includes West Side Story, Follies, and Sweeney Todd. Marking his 80th birthday, he talks about a life spent meticulously ‘putting it together’.
Tony Benn
Fri 19 Feb, Lyttelton BS
Letters to my Grandchildren is Tony Benn’s impassioned correspondence to the next generation to help them avoid the mistakes their parents and grandparents made and to fan “the flame of anger against injustice and the flame of hope.”
Rattigan Revisited
Wed 24 Feb, Cottesloe BS
Terence Rattigan was one of our most important playwrights, whose work fell hugely out of fashion in the 1950s. Biographer Geoffrey Wansell discusses this abrupt dismissal, his recent reappraisal and a life of concealment.
Alison Chitty
Tue 2 Mar, Cottesloe
To coincide with the NT exhibition about her work, one of our leading theatre designers talks about her illustrious career.
John Humphrys
Mon 29 Mar, Lyttelton BS
John Humphrys, presenter of Today and Mastermind, has just published his seventh book, and has decided that’s quite enough to be going on with. He reflects on the journalist as author and political interrogator, and why he decided to write a funny book after dealing with such weighty subjects as social change, industrial food production, the English language, God and death.
Luise Rainer
Mon 1 Feb, 7pm, (1hr 15mins), £5/£4, Olivier
Actress Luise Rainer celebrates her 100th birthday in January. She reflects on an extraordinary career: discovered by Max Reinhardt and serenaded by Charlie Chaplin, she won back-to-back Best Actress Academy Awards in the 1930s for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth, married playwright Clifford Odets, and campaigned for Brecht to leave Nazi Germany. Chaired by Christopher Frayling.
David Hare
Wed 14 Apr, 6pm, Lyttelton
David Hare’s first full-length play, Slag, opened at Hampstead Theatre on 6 April 1970. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary
of his debut, and the sixteen plays he has had performed at the National Theatre, he talks about his long life as a dramatist.
A Study of Art
Discover more about the poet and the composer at the centre of Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art. These extended Platforms combine analysis of their work and discussion to offer a deeper understanding of their life, creative output and artistic legacy.
A Study of Art 1: Benjamin Britten
Sat 20 Feb, 10.30am (2hrs), £10, Lyttelton
With the soprano Elisabeth Meister. Chaired by Genista McIntosh.
A Study of Art 2: W H Auden
Sat 27 Feb, 10.30am (2hrs), £10, Lyttelton
With former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, and Paul Kent, academic and colleague of Auden’s from Christchurch College, Oxford. Chaired by James Naughtie.
Valentine’s Day Film
The Apartment, Sun 14 Feb, 6pm, FREE
Projected on to the National Theatre Flytower, best viewed from the Baylis Terrace, level 2.
Wrap up warm with a loved one and enjoy a free outdoor screening of Billy Wilder’s wry, bittersweet comedy; Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine give career-defining performances as the struggling insurance clerk and the plucky elevator girl whose fledgling romance is caught up in the duplicity of 1960s office politics. (1960, dir: Billy Wilder, 125 mins)
And from the bar, to enjoy on the terrace…
The Frosty Jack two glasses of pink prosecco and a box of Turkish Delight £10
The Sizzling Shirley two Irish coffees and a box of dark chocolates £10
For the latest Platform guest updates visit
nationaltheatre.org.uk/platforms
NT Bookshop
Open Mon – Sat 9.30am – 10.45pm
Sun 12pm – 6pm on performance days.
The recently refurbished National Theatre Bookshop is Britain’s leading specialist theatre bookshop, offering a wide range of theatre texts and books, with knowledgeable booksellers available to help you.
Playtexts
Reflecting the NT’s repertoire – including Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, David Hare’s The Power of Yes, Mark Ravenhill’s adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s novel Nation – and West End and off-West End shows.
Theatre Books
Including audition material, biographies, children’s books, criticism, educational, reference and technical.
Academic Studies
BA and MA course material in Drama and Theatre Studies.
Book Signings
Regular signings in conjunction with NT Platforms; pre-order your copy.
Website
There are 1000s of titles available online: browse through plays, books, DVDs and gifts, plus recommendations from NT
actors and writers.
Merchandise
A wide range of gifts, from prints to mugs and T-shirts, celebrating the NT and its productions.
Tokens
Society of London Theatre tokens, valid at the NT and many UK theatres.
Programmes
For all the plays in the current NT repertoire.
nationaltheatre.org.uk
bookshop@nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3456
Live theatre broadcast to cinema screens around the world.
NT Live is an exciting new initiative to broadcast live performances of plays onto cinema screens worldwide. The pilot season will launch with Phèdre with Helen Mirren, Margaret Tyzack and Dominic Cooper.
On 25 June the performance will be filmed in high definition and broadcast via satellite to approximately 50 cinemas, reaching a widespread audience live across the UK. Over 100 venues around the world will also screen the production on the same day.
‘I grew up in Manchester in the 60s. If I had been able to see Olivier’s National Theatre at my local cinema, I would have gone all of the time.’
Nicholas Hytner
To find out if NT Live is at a cinema near you on 25 June, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ntlive
NT Live is funded in partnership with Arts Council England and NESTA
More from the National Theatre
Take a view – Landscape Photographer of the Year 2009
5 December – 24 January
This popular annual award, now in its third year, culminates in a stunning exhibition of photographs that express the spectacular beauty and diversity of our country whilst also reminding us of the need to protect this precious inheritance. A full-colour book of the winning entries will be available at the Bookshop.
Seeing Landscapes – Awards founder, Charlie Waite, talks about his approach to landscape photography and the exhibition, on
8 & 9 December and 12 & 13 January. Book online or call the Box Office on 020 7452 3000.
In association with Natural England and the English National Parks Authorities.
Stranded
13 January – 14 February
Lalla Ward paints with threads, draws with stitches, makes pictures with fabric, cares about biology, loves island flora and fauna, and is captivated by the evolution of animals stranded in isolation. From having once been an actor she comes back to the theatre but on a different stage: one of visual image, strands of silk and cotton, colour and texture, an archipelago of stitched pictures. From a world of illustration and ceramics, she moves into a material world and brings her love of animals and their habits and habitats to this exhibition of thread paintings.
Alison Chitty: Design Process 1970-2010
1 February – 28 March
Every designer works in a different way, and this exhibition shows us the process of award-winning theatre designer Alison Chitty. Director of the renowned Motley Theatre Design Course, she has designed for the theatre for 40 years in many performance spaces, from small studios to international opera houses, and also for film. Using landmark productions to show how Chitty works, including The Voysey Inheritance, Khovanshchina and The Minotaur, the exhibition follows her process, from the first sketch book to final designs. This is a unique opportunity to view work normally only seen in the studio, rehearsal room and workshops.
Sergei Paradjanov through the lens of Yuri Mechitov
22 February – 28 March
To Yuri Mechitov, Paradjanov was not only one of the world’s greatest filmmakers but also a close friend, an inspiring teacher and, quite simply, an extraordinary man. This exhibition is composed of rarely seen photographs taken by Mechitov during their 11-year friendship. The moments captured by Mechitov’s camera reveal a kaleidoscope of amusing situations, contrasting moods, remarkable filmmaking occasions and expressive backdrops. Yuri Mechitov has exhibited all over the world and has recently published Sergei Paradjanov: Chronicle of the Dialogue. This is the first showing of his work in the UK.
paradjanov-festival.co.uk
‘Fascinating and informative.’
Time Out
A brilliant insight into behind the scenes at the NT. Tours run up to six times daily. Visit unseen parts of the building, including the studios where sets and props are created.
Tickets until 31 March: £6, £5 concessions, £13 family ticket (2 adults & 2 under-18yrs). From 1 April 2010: £7, £6, £16
To book call 020 7452 3400.
The perfect gift for theatre lovers, vouchers can be used to buy tickets for any National Theatre production. Vouchers are sent in a gift pack to either you, or the recipient. To buy, call the Box Office on 020 7452 3000 or buy online.
Free Live Music
The best in jazz, folk and world music in the main foyer, before evening performances and Saturday and Sunday matinees.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/music
Costume and Prop Hire
Thousands of costumes, furniture and props from past NT productions. Beautifully crafted and historically accurate, the collection is available to hire for professional theatre and film, amateur groups, and even fancy dress. Friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you find exactly what you’re looking for – from a single costume to an entire production.
020 7735 4774
nationaltheatre.org.uk/hire
NT Membership
Great benefits and access to tickets
Advance Member £15
Advance booking ahead of the general public
advance@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Priority Member £65
Extended priority booking ahead of Advance Members
Invitations to free Q&A events
priority@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Supporting Cast Member from £400
First priority booking and hotline to the Box Office
Use of the NT Members’ bar
support@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Corporate Member from £9,500
Access to the NT hospitality areas
Free tickets, dedicated account management and priority booking
ismith@nationaltheatre.org.uk
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A range of events, workshops and ways to get involved with
the National Theatre – for people of all ages.
For Families
Twelfth Night Family Workshops
This production of Shakespeare’s most captivating comedy, especially for younger audiences, will be explored through a range of games and creative activities. Come for the fun… oh, and bring your children too.
Workshops are designed specifically to help introduce younger members of the audience to Twelfth Night before seeing the production in the Cottesloe Theatre.
16, 17, 19 and 20 February, £3.50
Suitable for all the family aged 8yrs+
Children must be accompanied by adults, and adults accompanied
by children.
To book, call 020 7452 3000.
For All
Replay/Reveal
Members of the NT’s technical team reveal what happens behind the scenes while the action is replayed on stage.
Suitable for 12yrs+
8 February Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
26 March Nation
3.30-4.15pm, £4.50/£3.50
Masterclasses
Leading NT artists and practitioners offer an insight into their work.
Suitable for 15yrs+
5 March Sound with Gareth Fry & Lighting with Jon Clark
11 March Writing with Tamsin Oglesby (Really Old, Like Forty Five) and Sebastian Born, NT Associate Director, Literary
2.30-5pm, £3.50/ £2.50
To book, call 020 7452 3000
For Schools
Insights into NT productions and history, for students aged 11-19yrs, on selected dates.
Workshops
Available for all productions.
From £120 per group.
Staff Director Q&A
Pre-show talks with the Staff Director
£1.50 per student
NT Archive
Arrange a tailored visit to view recordings and production materials for past shows.
For full details on student activities
nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover
For Teachers
Theatreworks for Teachers
A two-day course exploring voice and presentation skills, to create impact in the classroom, staffroom playground and beyond.
The course is aimed at teachers of all subjects – in particular those teaching non-arts subjects and is equally relevant to primary, as well as secondary teachers.
4 & 5 February 2010, £225
For full details visit
nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover/adults or 020 7452 3770 / 3693
£5 Teacher Preview Nights
See any production before your students and talk with members of
the Discover Programme about howwe can support their study. nationaltheatre.org.uk/teachers
Eating and Drinking at the National Theatre
Food & drink available throughout the building
Functions and private hire
020 7452 3264
Restaurant reservations and catering for groups
020 7452 3600 restaurantreservations@nationaltheatre.org.uk
nationaltheatre.org.uk/food&drink
Terrace Bar and Food
Level 2 (Lyttelton side of the building)
Wine, cocktails and international mezze with the best riverside views on the South Bank.
Reservations 020 7452 3555.
NT Espresso Bar
Situated in Theatre Square
Great coffee and snacks on the go, open from breakfast onwards.
Bars
Beat the queues!
Orders for interval drinks can be placed at the Circle Café, or at any of our bars.
Mezzanine
Level 1 (Olivier side of the building).
Classic dishes, perfect for pre and post theatre dining.
Dine post theatre and enjoy any two courses from our à la carte menu and a glass of wine for £19.50. Our seasonal menu changes monthly to ensure the best quality ingredients. Dishes include tagliatelle with wild boar salami, cavolo nero and Barolo, and blackberry and apple crumble.
Sunday Brunch – including corned beef hash with fried eggs and Omelette Arnold Bennett, as well as
a classic English roast.
Reservations 020 7452 3600.
Lyttelton Café
Ground floor, opposite the Long Bar
Hot dishes, deli sandwiches and freshly baked cakes from our kitchens at the National.
Olivier Café
Level 2/3 (Olivier side of the building)
Self-service café at the heart of the Olivier.
Main meal and glass of wine £10.
The Deck
‘One of the most exciting and commanding venues in London.’
The Architects’ Journal
The National’s private rooftop events space for up to 120 guests
Getting married in 2010?
London’s skyline and the Thames provide the perfect backdrop for couples seeking a ‘city chic’ wedding venue with a difference.
For further details see
nationaltheatre.org.uk/thedeck
Getting to the National Theatre
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
Open
Mon – Sat, 9.30am – 11pm
Information
nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3400
Mon – Sat, 9.30am – 11pm
Sun 12 – 6pm (when there is a performance in the building.)
Opening hours on Bank Holiday 4 and 25 May: by phone from 9.30am; in person from 4pm for sale of Day Seats.
Access
Audio-Described performances and touch tours for blind and visually impaired people. We also offer access guides and programme information in large print, braille and CD formats, and cast lists in large print and braille.
Captioned performances for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. An infra red audio system is available in all theatres for every performance. Free headsets, available from the information desk, are essential.
Booking Access Tickets
by phone 020 7452 3000
Access Information
by phone 020 7452 3400 or email access@nationaltheatre.org.uk
nationaltheatre.org.uk/access
Getting Here
Rail
Waterloo, Waterloo East or walk over the river from Charing Cross.
Underground
Waterloo, Southwark or walk over the river from Embankment.
Bus
1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 76, 77, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 211, 243, 341, 381, 507, 521, X68, Riverside Bus (RV1).
Coach
Setting-down point in Upper Ground at the back of the National.
Bicycle
Racks outside the Espresso Bar on the corner of Theatre Square, and opposite the Cottesloe entrance.
Car
Spaces in the NT car park are £7.50 after 5pm, or if you attend a daytime ticketed event and leave before 7pm.Combined matinee/evening show rate: £12. Sundays/public holidays: £7.50
all day. Free parking for blue badge holders – validate from Information Desk.
Programme details are published in good faith, but changes may occasionally be necessary.
Registered Charity No. 224223
Seating Plans
No booking fees
Select your own seat when booking online
nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3000
Ticket Prices
Olivier
London Assurance
£10 £22 £35 £42.50
Previews 1 & 2 £10 £17 £22 £22
All remaining Previews £10 £22 £28 £28
Nation
£10 £22 £35 £42.50
All tickets half price for under-18yrs: (excludes £10 tickets).
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
£10 £15 £30
Lyttelton
The White Guard
£10 £23 £31 £39.50 £42.50
Previews 1 & 2 £10 £19 £19 £23.50 £23.50
All remaining Previews £10 £19 £23.50 £28.50 £28.50
The Pitmen Painters
£10 £23 £31 £39.50 £42.50
The Habit of Art
£10 £23 £31 £39.50 £42.50
The Power of Yes
£10 £25 £35
Cottesloe
Really Old, Like Forty Five
£10 £20 £31
Previews 1 & 2 £10 £18.50 £23.50
All remaining previews £10 £18.50 £28.50
The 14th Tale
All tickets £10
Twelfth Night
Tickets £10
(£7 for under-18yrs; £5 for schools, with one free teacher place per 10 students).
Monday – Saturday, 9.30am – 8pm Sunday in person 12pm – 6pm; by phone 12pm – 3pm (4.15pm when Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is performed)
Public holiday opening hours
2 April: theatre closed
5 April: by phone from 9.30am, in person from 4pm (including the sale of Day Seats)
Tickets always available
Day Seats £10 from Box Office in person on the day of performance from 9.30am. See above for opening
hours on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Tickets subject to availability
Standby £15 off top 3 prices in Lyttelton; £15 off top 2 prices in Olivier; £5 off top 2 prices in Cottesloe; £5 off top price for
The Power of Yes and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.
All preview performances £20. Available from 90 minutes before the performance.
Student Standby £10 from 45 mins before the performance.
Also Stage Pass, SOLT, NCA, theatre unions and unemployed. Bring ID. Standing £5 after all tickets have been sold.
Concessions
Under-18 yrs Monday – Friday evenings and all matinees: £16.50.
All tickets for Nation are half price (excludes £10 tickets).
Senior Citizen Midweek matinees:
£20 off top 2 prices in Lyttelton and Olivier; £10 off top
price in Cottesloe, The Power of Yes, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.
Disabled People £12 + one companion at the same price
Groups 020 7452 3010
8 – 11 people: £2 off top two prices. 12 – 19 people: £4 off top two prices. 20+ people: £6 off top two prices (plus a free place for group organiser). Group discounts available for London Assurance, The White Guard, The Habit of Art, The Power of Yes, Nation and The Pitmen Painters (excludes Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Previews and Cottesloe productions).
School group 10+ people under 19yrs: £12 (excludes Saturday
evenings).
College group 10+ people 19-25 yrs: £15 (excludes Saturday evenings)
Concessions
Under-18 yrs Monday – Friday evenings and all matinees: £16.50.
15-25 yrs - Join Entry Pass and register for free tickets.
Senior Citizen Midweek matinees: £20 off top 2 prices in Lyttelton; £10 off top price in Cottesloe and Travelex £10 productions.
Disabled People £12 + one companion at the same price (£10 for Travelex £10 productions).
Groups 020 7452 3010 8 -11 people: £2 off top two prices. 12 - 19 people: £4 off top two prices. 20+ people: £6 off top two prices (plus a place for group organiser). Group discounts available for Time and the Conways, Burnt by the Sun (excludes Phèdre, previews, Travelex £10 productions and Cottesloe productions).
School group 10+ people 19-25yrs: £12 (excludes Saturday evenings and Travelex £10 productions).
College group 10+ people 19-25 yrs: £15 (excludes Saturday evenings and Travelex £10 productions).
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Theatres
Olivier Theatre
Open-stage with seating for 1,110 people. First three rows in the Front Stalls have no arm rests and are slightly narrower.
Lyttelton Theatre
Proscenium-stage with seating for 890 people. First four rows in the Front Stalls have no arm rests, are slightly narrower, and are on a flat floor (not raked).
Cottesloe Theatre
Studio theatre on three levels, with flexible staging and seating for up to 300. For some productions certain seats have a semi-restricted view (at £20) or restricted view (at £10).
Ticket Exchange
There are no refunds. However, tickets may be exchanged
for a later performance or for credit, on condition that we receive the tickets at least 24 hours before the performance (7 days for group bookings). There is an administration fee of £2 per ticket.
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For your safety and comfort
Strobe lighting, smoke effects and gunshots are sometimes used in productions; details are available from the Information Desk after the first preview. Latecomers may not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Children under four are welcome in the foyers, however they cannot be admitted to the auditoriums. If parents or guardians would like guidance on the content and suitability of individual NT plays, please call the Information Desk on 020 7452 3400.
In common with many public buildings in London, we have introduced extra measures to improve safety. You can make your visit, and that of all our other customers, more comfortable and secure by following a few simple instructions and using the free facilities provided. Small handbags only are allowed into the auditoriums. Bags, briefcases and packages must be left in the free cloakrooms in the foyers. Please avoid bringing large bags, rucksacks and luggage to the theatre.