NT : Visitor Information : National Theatre : About the NT
About the NT
The National's first performance - with Peter O'Toole as Hamlet - was given in 1963, under Laurence Olivier's Directorship.
For its first 13 years, the Company worked at the Old Vic Theatre, while waiting for its new home to be completed. In 1976, under Peter Hall, the move took place and the building was opened by The Queen. Since its inception, the National has presented nearly 500 plays, and several different productions can be seen in any one week. Successors to Peter Hall as Director of the Royal National Theatre have been Richard Eyre from 1988 to 1997, Trevor Nunn from 1997 to 2003 and Nicholas Hytner who took over in April 2003.
For more detail, see also the NT's history.
The Royal National Theatre receives financial assistance from Arts Council England, though more than half its income is self-generated, coming from the box office and other sales, sponsorship and patronage.
The National's building is recently refurbished, thanks to a grant from the Lottery fund, and stands next to Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank of the Thames in London. It consists of three permanent auditoriums - the large open-stage Olivier, the more conventional, proscenium-stage Lyttelton, and a small studio theatre, the Cottesloe - which seat nearly 2,500 people altogether. There was also a temporary theatre space, The Loft, created for the Transformation season, that can be reinstalled at a later date. The National also has a Studio for research and development, with a central commitment to new plays.
Apart from its main productions, the National offers all kinds of other events and services: short early-evening Platform performances; work for children and education work; free exhibitions in the foyers; live music before performances; outdoor events; backstage tours; a car park; and one of the world's best-stocked theatre bookshops.
Just across the river from Covent Garden, and close to the concert halls of the Royal Festival Hall, the National Film Theatre and the Hayward Gallery, the National is open to the public all day, six days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, and has spacious foyers and terraces overlooking the river. Visitors have a wide choice of eating places: the restaurant (Mezzanine), the Terrace Café, the Circle Café, the Espresso bar, and a number of buffets and bars.
If you want further information regarding the National, look at the Frequently Asked Questions.
Enjoy exploring the National's many attractions, and let us know what you think.
Royal National Theatre
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
Box Office +44 (0)20-7452 3000
Information +44 (0)20-7452 3400
Switchboard +44 (0)20-7452 3333
E-mail info@nationaltheatre.org.uk
The National welcomes your e-mails, but is not in a position to answer them all.
If you are looking for information on how to get to the National Theatre then see Travel to the NT.
Royal National Theatre
A company limited by guarantee
Registered in England No: 749504
Registered Charity No: 224223
