How do I book tickets?
Tickets can only be booked online, and are available up to 2 hours before a performance for shows taking place at the National Theatre.
Ticket sales for venues other than the National Theatre close on the morning of the performance.
Unfortunately, tickets are no longer available in person, and only Access tickets may be booked over the phone on 0207 452 3961.
How will I receive my tickets?
All tickets must be purchased in advance and will be delivered via email as an e-ticket, which can be printed at home if you prefer.
This process will streamline audiences’ entry to the theatre, minimise the amount of time you may have to queue, and reduce contact with our Front of House team.
Who is able to be a part of my group?
For performances taking place at the National Theatre, each group of up to 4 people must be part of your household or support bubble, and we ask that the group organiser be responsible for communicating our safety measures to the full group.
For The Ocean at the End of the Lane we anticipate by October 2021 that it will be safe to have standard seating without social distancing at the Duke of York's Theatre. In the event that this is not the case, such that the production has to be cancelled, the NT will follow its refund and exchange policy for all tickets purchased via the NT.
How many tickets can I book in one transaction?
We have physically distanced seating, grouped in households or support bubbles of 1-4 people, to protect both audiences and the live theatre experience.
You can book up to 6 tickets in one transaction for those within your household or support bubble.
Grouped tickets are seated together and will be distanced from other groups in the auditorium. To allow social distancing we have significantly reduced the overall capacity but we have tried to make a wide range of ticket groups available in different areas of the auditorium.
I would like to book Dick Whittington for my family, and we are a support bubble of 6 people – will we have to sit in separate groups?
Yes – while we are able accommodate households or support bubbles of up to 6 people, our seats are only available in groups of 1, 2, 3 or 4 people so we can maintain social distancing. Each group of seats is assigned a specific arrival time – this means that, depending on where your groups are sat in the auditorium, you may be allocated separate arrival times.
We do however appreciate that panto is a very special occasion for families, so please contact us on [email protected] should you wish to discuss bookings of more than 4 people.
While we must adhere to the latest Government guidelines, we’ll do our utmost to make sure your experiences is the best possible.
Why have I been allocated a time slot to arrive before the performance?
To minimise queuing and maintain social distancing, we ask that you and your group arrive at the theatre at the time slot listed on your pre-show email.
Once you have arrived, our team will guide you through a socially distanced one-way route to your seats in the auditorium. Rest assured our large, well-ventilated foyer spaces will give you lots of room to move around.
Should you or a member of your group be late for your arrival time, please do still come as quickly as possible so our team can help you access the building as safely as possible. Unfortunately, arrivals less than 15 minutes before your performance starts may result in our refusing entry, and we cannot allow access for people that arrive after their performance start time.
What are Stalls Bench tickets?
As part of remodelling the Olivier theatre as an in-the-round performance space, the front rows of the Stalls have been built as socially distanced bench seating. While these seats do not have arm rests, they have allocated seats, back-rests and are cushioned.
What happens if I feel ill and can’t use my ticket?
The health and safety of our audiences is incredibly important.
You are therefore able to exchange tickets up to 24 hours before your performance – so if someone in your party feels ill, there’s no need to worry.
- Go to My Events (you will be prompted to login if you are not already) and select the performance, and you will find a link to a return for credit voucher form that will auto-populate your order details.
Click here to read our full ticketing Terms and Conditions.
Please remember, it is important that you do not attend the theatre if you:
- believe you may be infected with COVID-19
- have experienced symptoms in the last 14 days
- have been in close proximity to anyone who has experienced symptoms in the last 14 days
- have arrived in England in the last 14 days from a country where UK quarantine restrictions apply
- have been instructed to self-isolate
We encourage anyone in your group that is clinically vulnerable, or who is in the same household or support bubble as someone who considers themselves vulnerable, to make their own assessment whether they should attend.
Can I still buy returns and low-priced last minute tickets?
Yes, all returned tickets will be made available online at their original face value, and can be booked online up to 2 hours before the performance.
Our Friday Rush scheme will still offer cheaper tickets closer to the performance: at 1pm every Friday, a limited number of £10 tickets for the following week's performances are released to buy online.
However, we have unfortunately had to stop all in person Day Tickets until further notice.
Is there a 16 - 25 year-olds' discount?
Yes, all 16-18 year-olds can access tickets for £5 and 19-25 year-olds can access tickets for £10 (max. 2 tickets per show) subject to availability.
Please remember to prepare photo ID, showing your age, when you arrive.
Is the Over 60s discount still available?
Yes, all over 60s can save on midweek matinees with £20 off £66 tickets.
How do I use my credit voucher from a cancelled performance?
Credit vouchers and NT Gift Vouchers can be redeemed on your order summary page once your tickets have been added to your basket. You will simply need to type the voucher number, including the hyphen, into the system and click “Apply Voucher”. The value of the voucher will then be deducted from your order.
We are pleased to accept Theatre Tokens (issued by the Society of London Theatre) and these can be redeemed over the phone on 0207 452 3961.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept gift vouchers or gift cards issued by other third parties such as ticket agents. Please refer to the voucher issuer for details about redeeming these vouchers.
If you are having trouble redeeming your credit voucher or NT Gift Card, please contact [email protected]
I’m a National Theatre Patron, will the Ashcroft Room Private Members Bar be open before the performance?
Unfortunately, the Ashcroft Room Private Members Bar has been closed until further notice to help us facilitate social distancing.
You are able to pre-order refreshments when you book your tickets, on our app or via the Development team, and will be available to collect on the way to your seats.