National Theatre Season Brochure
May – July 2009
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*
By fax
020 7452 3030
In person
Mon – Sat, 9.30am – 8pm
Sun 12pm – 3pm*
Public booking opens 13 March 2009
*Opening hours on Sunday 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 the sale of Day Seats.
Travelex £10 Tickets are sponsored by Travelex
Media Partner of Travelex £10 Tickets The Times
Television Media Partner of Travelex £10 Tickets Sky Arts
New Connections Supported by Bank of America
Matinees at the National Theatre are sponsored by Prudential
Innovation at the National Theatre is sponsored by Accenture
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
Programme details are published in good faith, but changes
may occasionally be necessary.
Registered Charity No. 224223
Shows
Phedre
The Observer
All's Well That Ends Well
England People Very Nice
Death and The King's Horseman
Time and the Conways
Burnt by the Sun
Dido Queen of Carthage
discover: new connections
Platforms
In Conversation with
The Acting Series
NT Live
Entry Pass
Watch This Space
England
NT on Tour
discover: National Theatre
More from the National Theatre
Free Exhibitions
Bookshop
Backstage Tours
Gift Tokens
Costume and Prop Hire
Free Live Music
NT Membership
Eating and Drinking at the National Theatre
Ticketing Information
Box Office
Concessions
Theatres
Ticket Exchange
For Your Safety and Comfort
Phèdre
by Jean Racine
in a version by Ted Hughes
Lyttelton Theatre, from 4 June
Consumed by an uncontrollable passion for her young stepson and believing Theseus, her absent husband, to be dead, Phèdre confesses her darkest desires and enters the world of nightmare. When Theseus returns, alive and well, Phèdre, fearing exposure, accuses her stepson of rape. The result is carnage.
Look at me – see a woman in frenzy.
I am in love.
Helen Mirren takes the title role in this savage play by Jean Racine, translated into muscular free verse by the late Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes.
Cast includes
Dominic Cooper
Helen Mirren
Margaret Tyzack
Director Nicholas Hytner
Designer Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Music Adam Cork
Sponsored by Coutts
Phèdre will also tour to Epidaurus, Greece on 10 & 11 July 2009.
For more details visit nationaltheatre.org.uk/touring
Audio-Described performances
Friday 3 July at 8pm, Saturday 4 July at 3pm,
Saturday 1 August at 3pm
Captioned performance
Wednesday 22 July at 8pm
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The Observer
a new play by Matt Charman
Cottesloe Theatre, World Premiere from 13 May
People walked for six miles to vote. I’ve been doing this job for ten years and I’m telling you that for the first time in what feels like a lifetime we can do something real here.
An international group of observers arrives in a West African country to oversee and rubber stamp its first democratic election. New voters queue in their thousands, but a senior member of the observation team finds herself both horrified by the President’s suppressive tactics and, for once, in a position to do something about it.
Yet as violence on the streets escalates and the country enters free fall, an increasingly angry young translator forces this well-meaning outsider to confront the impact of her intervention.
Cast includes
Leo Bill
Daon Broni
Anna Chancellor
James Fleet
Peter Forbes
Chuk Iwuji
Aïcha Kossoko
Louis Mahoney
Cyril Nri
Isabel Pollen
Joy Richardson
Director Richard Eyre
Designer Rob Howell
Lighting Designer Neil Austin
Projection Designer Jon Driscoll
Music Richard Hartley
Sound Designer Rich Walsh
Audio-Described performances
Friday 26 June at 7.30pm, Saturday 27 June at 2.30pm
Sponsored by Accenture
Travelex £10 Tickets
All’s Well That Ends Well
by William Shakespeare
Olivier Theatre, from 19 May
Who cannot be crush’d with a plot?
The feisty but lowly Helena falls in love with Bertram, a haughty count. To gain his hand she is set a string of impossible tasks. Even if accomplished, they can hardly guarantee his love. He refuses to bed her and yet says he’ll only be hers if she bears his child; and he lusts after another. Nevertheless, our heroine, whether wisely or no, refuses to give him up.
War is no strife
To the dark house and the detested wife.
Set against a background of sexism, snobbery and a battle between the generations, Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well turns fairytale logic on its head. A wondrous, bittersweet story.
I knew the count to be a dangerous and lascivious boy, who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds.
Cast includes
Oliver Ford Davies
Janet Henfrey
Clare Higgins
Conleth Hill
Sioned Jones
Elliot Levey
Brendan O’Hea
George Rainsford
Michelle Terry
Michael Thomas
Director Marianne Elliott
Designer Rae Smith
Lighting Designer Peter Mumford
Music Adam Cork
Sound Designer Ian Dickinson
Captioned performance
Saturday 11 July at 2pm
England People Very Nice
a new play by Richard Bean
Olivier Theatre, World Premiere, Now Playing
Running time 2hrs 50min
Fucking Frogs! My grandfather didn’t die in the English Civil War so’s half the population of France
could come over here and live off the soup!
*****
Daily Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Express, Sunday Times, The Times
‘A giddily enjoyable evening... provokes people, through laughter, into feeling uneasy as they laugh.’
Observer
‘A seriously hilarious play, a provocative, swaggering, humane, edgy comedy of immigration, integration and disintegration... Unmissable.’
Sunday Times
‘Who would think that unsexy subject, waves of immigration into Bethnal Green, could generate so much enjoyable ebullience?’
The Times
‘Wise, brave and true... an exuberant production that fills the Olivier stage with seething life.’
Daily Telegraph
‘A very funny but outrageous comedy... makes you laugh and then wonder whether you should have.’
Financial Times
Irish and Jewish, that’s the worst mix. You end up with a family of pissed up burglars run by
a clever accountant.
Cast
Philip Arditti
Jamie Beamish
Paul Chequer
Olivia Colman
Rudi Dharmalingam
Sacha Dhawan
Hasina Haque
Tony Jayawardena
Trevor Laird
Elliot Levey
Siobhán McSweeney
Neet Mohan
Aaron Neil
Sophia Nomvete
Daniel Poyser
Claire Prempeh
Fred Ridgeway
Avin Shah
Sophie Stanton
Michelle Terry
David Verrey
Harvey Virdi
Director Nicholas Hytner
Designer Mark Thompson
Director of Animation Pete Bishop
Lighting Designer Neil Austin
Composer Grant Olding
Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin
Fight Director Terry King
Sound Designer John Leonard
Captioned performance
Monday 1 June at 7.30pm
Travelex £10 Tickets
Death and the King’s Horseman
by Wole Soyinka
Olivier Theatre, Now Playing
There’s a great devil in the universe, and we call it Time.
Nigeria, 1943. The King is dead, and tonight his Horseman must escort him to the Ancestors.
I am the master of my fate.
When the hour comes watch me dance
along the narrowing path...
My soul is eager. I shall not turn aside.
As Elesin Oba dances through the closing marketplace, flirting with the women, pursued by his praise-singer and an entourage of drummers, he promises to honour the ancient Yoruba custom of ritual suicide and so accompany his ruler on the final journey. But a life so rich is hard to leave, and this is a British colony where such customs are not tolerated, no matter how sacred.
Set against the conflict of indigenous and invader, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s extraordinary play uses Elesin’s transition from the living to the dead to examine the essence of corruption and the power of the human will.
You white races know how to survive; I’ve seen proof of that…
But at least have the humility to let others survive in their own way.
Cast
David Ajala
Medina Ajikawo
Sarah Amankwah
Nonso Anozie
Claire Benedict
Robert Eugene
Derek Ezenagu
Karlina Grace
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Hazel Holder
Gbemisola Ikumelo
Tony James-Andersson
Jenny Jules
Gemma Mcfarlane-Edmond
Coral Messam
Lucian Msamati
Rex Obano
Anthony Ofoegbu
Adura Onashile
Demi Oyediran
Daniel Poyser
Jason Rowe
Seun Shote
Giles Terera
David Webber
Director Rufus Norris
Designer Katrina Lindsay
Lighting Designer Paule Constable
Associate Director and Consultant Peter Badejo
Choreographer/Movement Director Javier de Frutos
Sound Designer Ian Dickinson
Audio-Described performances
Friday 8 May at 7.30pm, Saturday 9 May at 2pm
Captioned performance
Saturday 13 June at 2pm
Time and the Conways
by J B Priestley
Lyttelton Theatre, Now Playing
There’s a great devil in the universe, and we call it Time.
The Conways, celebrating Kay’s 21st birthday in 1919, seem a golden family – safe and well after the Great War, looking forward to future careers, marriages, and a brave new world. Through J B Priestley’s masterly manipulation of time, we see into their future and back again to where the seeds of their downfall were planted.
Time doesn’t destroy anything. It merely moves us on – in this life – from one peep-hole to the next.
Priestley was fascinated by the study of time. Writing in 1937, he saw how Britain was complacently failing to learn from history and charging headlong towards another conflagration.
The NT returns to Priestley for the first time since its ground-breaking production of An Inspector Calls.
Cast includes
Francesca Annis
Mark Dexter
Lisa Jackson
Hattie Morahan
Alistair Petrie
Paul Ready
Adrian Scarborough
Fenella Woolgar
Director Rupert Goold
Designer Laura Hopkins
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson
Music and Sound Adam Cork
Audio-described performances
Friday 24 July at 7.30pm, Saturday 25 July at 2.15pm
Captioned performance
Monday 27 July at 7.30pm
Burnt By the Sun
by Peter Flannery
from the screenplay by
Nikita Mikhalkov and Rustam Ibragimbekov
Lyttelton Theatre, Until 21 May
Running time 2hrs 25mins
Colonel Kotov, decorated hero of the Russian Revolution, is spending an idyllic summer in the country with his beloved young wife and family. But on one glorious sunny morning in 1936, his wife’s former lover returns from a long and unexplained absence. Amidst a tangle of sexual jealousy, retribution and remorseless political backstabbing, Kotov feels the full, horrifying reach of Stalin’s rule.
I’ll give you one chance. Go now and type your confession. I take you and the confession to Moscow tonight – two big feathers in my cap – and maybe, maybe… they’ll spare Maroussia… as the wife of a traitor. We all have a choice, Comrade.
Poised at the beginning of Stalin’s Great Terror, Burnt by the Sun shows a brutal future encroaching on the last days of a fading world.
Cast includes
Duncan Bell
Skye Bennett
Anna Burnett
Anna Carteret
Rowena Cooper
Marcus Cunningham
Michelle Dockery
Holly Gibbs
Michael Grady-Hall
Colin Haigh
Harry Hepple
Ciarán Hinds
Floss Hoffman
Stephanie Jacob
Anne Kavanagh
Rory Kinnear
Victoria Lennox
Tim McMullan
Stuart Martin
Pamela Merrick
Charlotte Pyke
Roger Ringrose
Tony Turner
Hattie Webb
Director Howard Davies
Designer Vicki Mortimer
Lighting Designer Mark Henderson
Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin
Fight Director Terry King
Music Ilona Sekacz
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Dido Queen of Carthage
by Christopher Marlowe
Cottesloe Theatre, Until 2 June
Seeking refuge from a violent storm, Aeneas lands on the shores of Carthage where Queen Dido, moved by his retelling of the fall of Troy and bewitched by a malevolent Cupid, soon burns with love. Their ensuing passion, manipulated by the watching, warring gods, can only end in tragedy.
It is Aeneas’ frown that ends my days.
If he forsake me not, I never die;
For in his looks I see eternity,
And he’ll make me immortal with a kiss.
Written when he was an undergraduate, the wit, the daring and the sheer poetry of Christopher Marlowe’s first play were so new and exciting in English theatre that Hamlet was still talking about it seventeen years later.
Cast
Obi Abili
Jake Arditti
Mark Bonnar
Sian Brooke
Gary Carr
Alan David
Susan Engel
Freddie Hill
Anastasia Hille
Stephen Kennedy
Kyle McPhail
Thomas Patten
Siobhan Redmond
Ryan Sampson
Ceallach Spellman
Theo Stevenson
Director James Macdonald
Set Designer Tobias Hoheisel
Costume Designer Moritz Junge
Lighting Designer Adam Silverman
Movement Steven Hoggett and Imogen Knight for Frantic Assembly
Music Orlando Gough
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Audio-Described performances
Friday 24 April at 7.30pm, Saturday 25 April at 2.30pm
Captioned performance
Tuesday 5 May at 7.30pm
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discover: new connections
Olivier and Cottesloe Theatres, 1 – 7 July
A season of specially commissioned plays to be staged by young people nationwide. Tales of attraction, rejection, loyalty, loss, magic, mischief – the familiar ups and downs of first friendships – are at the heart of this year’s plays. Presented by teenagers from across the country, these inspiring stories will reach out and touch anyone who has experienced the highs and lows of young adulthood.
A Handbag by Anthony Horowitz
Blackout by Davey Anderson
Dirty Dirty Princess by Georgia Fitch
Heartbreak Beautiful by Christopher William Hill
Six Parties by William Boyd
Success by Nick Drake
The Dummy Tree by Conor Mitchell
The Heights by Lisa McGee
The Séance by Anthony Neilson
The Things She Sees by Ben Power based on the novel by Charles Boyle
The Vikings and Darwin by David Mamet
Trammel by Michael Lesslie
New Connections Writers’ Forum
Tuesday 7 July
New Connections 2009
A volume of this year’s plays, published by Faber & Faber, will be available from July exclusively from the NT Bookshop.
Tickets: One show £5, or two shows on the same night £8.
From 20 April all dates and production information will be available online at nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover
Supported by Bank of America
Platforms
6pm (45mins) £3.50 / £2.50 (unless stated)
The marked Platforms are followed by booksigning with the author. Buy your copy from the NT Bookshop.
Ten Years of the Children’s Laureate
Mon 27 April, Olivier
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the Children’s Laureate, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen look back at their experiences of being Laureate and talk to John Mullan about the current trend of dramatic adaptations of children’s novels. booksigning
Virginia McKenna
Tue 28 April, Cottesloe
Virginia McKenna’s autobiography, The Life in My Years, reflects on a career which includes performances in The Cruel Sea and A Town Like Alice and her role in the conservation and animal welfare movement as founder of The Born Free Foundation.
booksigning
Rupert Goold on Time and the Conways
Thu 14 May, Lyttelton
The director talks about his new production of Priestley’s time play.
Frantic Assembly: Scott Graham & Steven Hoggett
Thu 28 May, Cottesloe
In their practical book on devising, the artistic directors of Frantic Assembly reflect on the history and practice of their innovative company. booksigning
The Marlowe Legacy
Fri 29 May, Cottesloe
A wide-ranging look at a life rich with drama, poetry and intrigue; Lisa Hopkins discusses Marlowe’s literary legacy, Ged Parsons
his frequent fictional appearances, and Simon Shepherd looks at affairs of state in turbulent times.
Matt Charman & Richard Eyre on The Observer
Thu 4 June, Cottesloe
Writer and director talk about this new play set during a West African election. booksigning
The Work of Wole Soyinka
Fri 12 June, Olivier
Maya Jaggi, Ben Okri and Jane Plastow examine the life and career of the Nobel prize-winning author of Death and the King’s Horseman.
Antony Sher
Sat 20 June, Lyttelton
As a new edition of his inspiring and revelatory memoir, Beside Myself, is published to mark his 60th birthday, alongside an exhibition, the actor, author and artist Antony Sher reflects on his career. booksigning
Shakespeare Blogged: Nick Asbury & Simon Reade
Tue 23 June, Cottesloe
Actor and RSC blogger Nick Asbury joins director and author Simon Reade for a light-hearted look at how Shakespeare the playwright would survive in today’s world of internet scrutiny and arts subsidy. booksigning
Marianne Elliott on All’s Well That Ends Well
Wed 24 June, Olivier
The director Marianne Elliott discusses her new production of Shakespeare’s ‘problem’ play.
Lorna Luft
Fri 26 June, Olivier
The celebrated performer, actress and recording artist comes to the National to talk about her acclaimed career – most recently playing the Wicked Witch of the West – and living with the memory of her mother, the legendary Judy Garland.
Timeless Priestley: Roy Hattersley & Tom Priestley
Mon 29 June, Lyttelton
Playwright, broadcaster, campaigner and novelist, J B Priestley left an indelible mark on our culture and society. Tom Priestley, his son, is joined by the politician Roy Hattersley to reflect on the legacy of a British legend.
Nicholas Hytner on Phèdre
Thu 2 July, Lyttelton
The director talks about his production of Racine’s verse masterpiece.
Shakespeare’s Soul: Jonathan Bate
Fri 3 July, Olivier
In his new biography, Soul of the Age, Jonathan Bate weaves an exhilarating tapestry of the Elizabethan beliefs and obsessions, private passions and political intrigues that shaped and informed Shakespeare’s mind. booksigning
New Connections Writers’ Forum
Tue 7 July, Cottesloe
As the annual season of new plays for young people ends its run at the National, the writers look back on their experiences of the programme.
Joan Bakewell
Tue 14 July, Lyttelton
In her first novel, All the Nice Girls, Joan Bakewell tells a stirring tale of living life to the full and the virtue of integrity and patriotism in a wartime Manchester girls’ school. booksigning
Helen Mirren
Mon 20 July, 9.30pm, Lyttelton
Currently playing the title role in Racine’s tragedy, Helen Mirren reflects on her hugely diverse career and returning to the National.
An Experiment with Time… and the Conways
Fri 24 July, Lyttelton
Time and the Conways was inspired by J W Dunne’s 1927 An Experiment with Time, which argues that our past, present and future exist concurrently. Physicist Jeff Forshaw and writer Anthony Peake discuss Dunne’s influence on Priestley’s work, and the latest in time theories. booksigning
In Conversation with…
3pm (1 hr), £5/4, Cottesloe
The ongoing series of informal conversations with company members chatting about their work and answering your questions. Chaired by Al Senter.
Anastasia Hille Mon 1 June
Anna Chancellor Fri 5 June
Francesca Annis Tue 23 June
The Acting Series… revisited The distinguished 1980s BBC series of acting masterclasses featured a stellar line-up of Maria Aitken, Michael Caine, Simon Callow, Brian Cox, Jonathan Miller and Janet Suzman, working with young actors on acting in particular genres. Twenty years later, the ‘masters’ revisit their topics and look back to see how their work and approach have changed – or not – and share their thoughts on contemporary acting with extracts from the original series.
Jonathan Miller: Acting in Opera
Fri 5 June, Olivier
Simon Callow: Acting in Restoration Comedy
Fri 19 June, Olivier
Maria Aitken: Acting in High Comedy
Wed 8 July, Lyttelton
Janet Suzman: Acting in Shakespearean Comedy
Fri 10 July, Lyttelton
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
The National Theatre is offering free theatre tickets to 15-25-year-olds as part of A Night Less Ordinary.
In order to access the free tickets, 15-25-year-olds must register as Entry Pass members. Entry Pass
is free to join, and once registered, the first ticket to the NT is FREE; each subsequent ticket will cost
just £5.
A Night Less Ordinary is an Arts Council England scheme, in association with Metro, which will provide 618,000 free theatre tickets to anyone under 26 in more than 200 venues across England.
For more information visit anightlessordinary.org.uk
Entry Pass is about much more than what happens on stage:
• Play-related workshops throughout the year
• Join the professional critics at NT press nights to review the shows
• Dedicated website featuring information on all NT shows, staff insights and a members’
discussion board.
For more information and to download an Entry Pass application form please visit nationaltheatre.org.uk/entrypass
Entry Pass is supported by The Welton Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Golsoncott Foundation.
1 July - 27 September
After last year’s summer washout, we brave the elements once
again for Watch This Space, the National’s free festival of
al fresco performance. Join us on the astroturf three-piece suite for a rich variety of theatre, circus, dance, music and spectacle, under a (hopefully) sunny sky.
Following 2008’s sell-out performances, we open up Square² again for more exciting theatre, including the outstanding Polish company Teatr Biuro Podròzy with the return of their hugely successful Macbeth: Who is That Bloodied Man?, and the première of their latest production.
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England
by Tim Crouch
London premiere in association with the National Theatre and Whitechapel Gallery
A story of a transplant: a heart inside a body, a culture inside another country’s culture. Told by two guides in Whitechapel Gallery, England takes us to a place of urgency about the values we give to human life and art.
*****
Tim Crouch’s wonderful text begins to reveal layer after layer of poetic depth.’
The Scotsman
‘A rich drama created with rigorous, poetic economy.’
NY Times
Venue: Whitechapel Gallery 77-82 Whitechapel High St, E1
To book: nationaltheatre.org.uk or 020 7452 3000
Dates: 8 May – 16 June. For calendar visit
nationaltheatre.org.uk/england
Prices: £15 (£10 concs)
Running time 60 minutes, no interval; the audience will be standing for half the performance.
BSL interpreted performance 9 June, 7pm
Audio description workshop 2 June, 5pm
A Traverse Theatre commission in association with The Fruitmarket Gallery. Produced by news from nowhere, with Culturgest, Lisbon, and Warwick Arts Centre, UK.
www.newsfromnowhere.net
Cast
Tim Crouch
Hannah Ringham
Co-directors Karl James and a smith
Sound designer Dan Jones
Technical management Schräder-Umney
Administrative production Lisa Wolfe
The Pitmen Painters
by Lee Hall
inspired by a book by William Feaver
*****
Evening Standard, Daily Express, Sunday Express
Best New Play
Evening Standard Award
‘A wonderful piece of theatre: comic, sad and stirring in the same breath.’
Financial Times
Following sell-out seasons at Live Theatre Newcastle and at the National Theatre, the award-winning play by Lee Hall, goes on a UK tour.
29 September - 3 October
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Now booking
13 - 17 October
Cardiff New Theatre
19 - 24 October
Milton Keynes Theatre
27 - 31 October
Salford Lyric Theatre
Now booking
3 - 7 November
Sheffield Lyceum
10 - 14 November
Norwich Theatre Royal
24 - 28 November
Plymouth Theatre Royal
For up to date details on the tour and booking dates visit
nationaltheatre.org.uk/touring
A range of events, workshops and ways to get involved with
the National Theatre – for people of all ages.
Young people
Theatrecraft workshops
A range of technical workshops for 15-19-year-olds, exploring lighting, sound, props and costume, delivered by experienced National Theatre staff.
New Connections 2009
Before the NT New Connections Festival in July, schools and youth theatres will be performing their New Connections production at one of our 15 Partner Theatres around the country.
For more information visit
nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover/youngpeople
Adults
Discover: Playwriting
Are you an aspiring playwright who would like to create a new play based on a favourite classic? We’re inviting applications for this exciting opportunity which will be taking place during April.
Theatreworks
Theatreworks is a communication skills training programme. Delivered through short courses and personal coaching, the work is offered bespoke for organisations or as open courses for individuals.
‘Experiential learning at its best.’
Senior Consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers
For more information visit nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover/adults
Secondary & Further Education
The Eternal Not
Helena has a gift for patience.
Bertram wants to disappear for ever.
Lucinda Coxon’s new play is a darkly comic companion to Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well.
Olivier Theatre Foyer
8, 9, 15, 16, 22 June, 5pm
(running time 30mins)
Free to schools and colleges making a group booking for
All’s Well That Ends Well. To book: 020 7452 3000
CPD - Directing Shakespeare for Teachers
Led by NT artists, this course builds confidence and skills.
Dates: 20 April, 10am-5pm
Cost: £50
To book: 020 7452 3000
discover: online
Watch the free new material now added to our Online Tour and Making Theatre sections, including films on our sound and voice departments. Also new is the online Current Productions area which features short films on selected NT productions.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover
More from the National Theatre...
Free Exhibitions
Roxana Halls’ Tingle-Tangle
30 March – 30 May
A series of paintings on the theme of cabaret by prize-winning contemporary artist Roxana Halls. The painter as impresario invites you to be the audience for a show taking in burlesque, the heyday of Weimar, the current scene, and a range of imaginary performances only to be witnessed on canvas.
www.roxanahalls.com
Lasting impressions – Greenwich Printmakers 30 years on
25 May – 4 July
In this exciting exhibition of original prints, Greenwich Printmakers celebrate 30 years of successful association. The broad range of
prints on display illustrates an equally wide diversity of print methods including lino-cuts, etchings, screen-prints, lithographs, monoprints, collographs and many others. The uniqueness of style and methodology of each Greenwich printmaker makes this a stunning selection of contemporary prints at affordable prices.
Antony Sher
8 June – 27 June
Antony Sher’s latest oil painting is an enormous autobiographical work called ‘The Audience’. It’s a composition of a 130 portraits of people who have influenced his life: iconic heroes and villains (Mandela and Hitler), great actors (Olivier, Brando), members of his family, or friends, characters he’s played (Richard III, Primo Levi, Stanley Spencer) or as characters from his novels and plays. To coincide with his 60th birthday, and the new edition of his autobiography Beside Myself, Antony Sher will exhibit
‘The Audience’ alongside other paintings and drawings. The new edition of his autobiography will be available from May at the NT Bookshop.
The Press Photographer’s Year 09
4 July – 31 August
The Press Photographer’s Year is the only competition that showcases the outstanding press photography taken for and used by the UK media. This exhibition documents the world in 2009 and proves once again that even in a world of instant communication, the traditional still image burns the keenest, fastest impression on the public conscience.
Returning to the NT for a fourth successive year, the Press Photographers’ Year is held in association with The British Press Photographers’ Association and sponsored by Canon cameras.
The accompanying book containing all the photographs from The Press Photographer’s Year 2009 will be available from the NT bookshop.
Bookshop
Britain’s leading specialist theatre bookshop
Open Mon – Sat 9.30am – 10.45pm
Sun 12pm – 6pm*.
*Opening hours on Sunday when there is a performance in the building. From 12pm on 4 and 5 May.
Secure online ordering at: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk with hundreds more titles
Phone 020 7452 3456, or email bookshop@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Playtexts
For much of the West End and National’s repertoire including:
Phèdre, Burnt by the Sun, The Observer, Dido, Queen of Carthage, Death and the King’s Horseman, England People Very Nice, All’s Well That Ends Well, Time and the Conways, The Pitmen Painters, War Horse, NT Connections and England.
Books
Constructions by Michael Frayn, the prequel to his bestselling epic philosophical work The Human Touch. Available from April.
Theatre Books
Biography, theatre-in-education, criticism, reference, technical, BA and MA course reading.
Recordings
A specialist selection of DVDs and CDs, including Shakespeare-related items.
Posters and programmes
For current and past shows.
Gifts
A range of T-shirts, stationery, postcards from recent productions, plus many other gift ideas.
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Backstage Tours
A brilliant insight into the work behind the scenes bringing
our productions to the stage. Tours run up to six times daily.
Tickets £5.90, £4.90 concessions, £12.70 (2 adults & 2 under 18yrs). To book call 020 7452 3400 .
Gift Vouchers
To buy National Theatre tickets.
Costume and Prop Hire
Thousands of top-quality costumes, furniture and props from past NT productions.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/hire
020 7735 4774
Free Live Music
The best in jazz, folk and world music in the main foyer, before evening performances and Saturday matinees.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/music
NT Membership
Get great benefits and access to tickets before the general public.
Advance Member £12.50
• Advance booking ahead of the general public
advance@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Priority Member £65
• Extended priority booking ahead of Advance Members and public
• 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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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 fantastic river views.
Share small plates of mezze, with a carafe of wine and the best outside tables on the South Bank.
Over the summer, the Terrace remains open late into the evening for cocktails and food, and on
Friday and Saturday nights becomes Green Room, the National’s late night bar with DJ. Reservations
020 7452 3555.
Bars
Beat the queues! Orders for interval drinks and sandwiches can be placed at the Circle Café, or at
any of our bars.
Mezzanine
Level 1 (Olivier side of the building).
A modern European menu, with an emphasis on fresh fish, perfect for pre and post-theatre dining.
Lunch and post theatre menu includes a two course fixed price menu £17.50.
Enjoy Sunday brunch from July, with a delicious menu ranging from Belgian waffles to classic English roast with all the trimmings. Reservations 020 7452 3600.
Circle Café
Level 2/3 (Olivier side of the building)
Self-service café at the heart of the Olivier, offering hot meals, wine and snacks. With two balcony areas for outside eating, the Circle Café is open before performances in the Olivier Theatre.
Lyttelton Café
Ground floor, opposite the Long Bar
Hot and cold dishes perfect for pre-theatre eating, with main meals from £6.50. Fresh coffee, baguettes, bagels and delectable cakes cooked here in our kitchens at the National Theatre.
NT Espresso Bar
Situated in Theatre Square
Great coffee and snacks on the go. Our Espresso Bar sells an innovative range of food and drink including coffee, home made baguettes, paninis, cakes and home baked biscuits.
The Deck
‘One of the most exciting and commanding venues in London.’
The Architects’ Journal
From April 2009, The Deck is available to hire exclusively for dinners up to 90, and receptions or conferences up to 120.
We are delighted to announce that The Deck has now been approved to host wedding ceremonies. 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 our new website 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 (except for Dido, Queen of Carthage)
nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3000
Olivier
Travelex £10 Tickets
£10 £15 £30
All’s Well That Ends Well
Previews 1 & 2
£10 £12.50 £20
England People Very Nice
Death and the King’s Horseman
Lyttleton
£10 £23 £31 £39.50 £42.50
Phèdre
Previews 1 & 2
£10 £19 £19 £23.50 £23.50
All remaining Previews
£10 £19 £23.50 £28.50 £28.50
Burnt by the Sun
Time and the Conways
Cottesloe
£10 £20 £31
The Observer
Previews 1 & 2
£10 £18.50 £23.50
All remaining Previews
£10 £18.50 £28.50
Dido, Queen of Carthage
Box Office
Open Monday – Saturday, 9.30am – 8pm
Includes the sale of Day Seats.
Sunday 12pm – 3pm (when there is a performance in the building).
Includes the sale of Day Seats. Opening hours on Bank Holiday
4 and 25 May: by phone from 9.30am; in person from 4pm for
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 bank holidays.
Tickets subject to availability
Standby £15 off top 3 prices in Lyttelton; £5 off top 2 prices in Cottesloe, £5 off top price for Travelex £10 productions. All preview performances £20. Available from 90 minutes before the performance.
Student Standby £10 from 45mins 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.
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).
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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.