Building    From 1976 

National Theatre

Categories: Theatre

First proposed in 1848, the gestation of the NT is complex (see the NT's own site). The first site for the NT was acquired in 1913, immediately behind the British Museum, at the corner of Gower Street and Keppel Street. Here a “Shakespeare Hut” was used for entertaining the troops in WW1 but the site was sold in 1922 and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was built there. Various other sites were considered and then in 1938 another site was purchased, Cromwell Gardens, opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1942 the LCC exchanged this site with one on the South Bank, to the west of Waterloo Bridge, and Sir Edwin Lutyens and Mr Masey designed a building. The 1951 foundation stone was laid at this site but a year later it was agreed with the LCC that the theatre should be further west, next to County Hall.

Denys Lasdun was selected as the architect. Meanwhile theatrical productions were put on at the Old Vic and on 22 October 1963 the newly formed "National Theatre Company" opened its first play, Hamlet. Thus there were celebrations in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the company, even though the building came much later.

In 1967 the site was moved for the last time to the current site (obviously). Building began but it was much delayed and the 1976 foundation stone was laid when only the Lyttelton and Olivier stages were operating. The Cottesloe opened in March 1977. The 1988 plaque commemorates the renaming to the "Royal" National Theatre marking the 25th anniversary of the company's first performance.

In the 1990s millions were spent renovating the building. At that time Lasdun's style was out of favour and the changes introduced caused Lasdun to demand his name be removed from the 1976 stone (we can see that his wishes were not acted upon).

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
National Theatre

Commemorated ati

Morley mosaics - WBR - Lilian Baylis

Lilian Baylis, born 1874. A niece of Emma Cons, Lilian flourished as a theatr...

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National Theatre foundation - 1951

British Pathe have film of this ceremony: The Queen Mum looks pretty experien...

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National Theatre foundation - 1976

The National Theatre, opened by the Queen on 25 October 1976, designed for th...

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National Theatre foundation - 1988

{Around Her head:} HM Queen Elizabeth Patron Royal National Theatre This pla...

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Other Subjects

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw

Born Dublin. Socialist, member of the Fabian Society. Plays include: Saint Joan, Major Barbara and Pygmalion on which My Fair Lady is based. Didn't like his first name, "Don't George me!" so is oft...

Person, Literature, Politics & Administration, Seriously Famous, Theatre, Ireland

5 memorials
Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Actor, director, writer. Born Streatham.  

Person, Cinema, Literature, Theatre, TV & Radio

4 memorials
Duchess Theatre

Duchess Theatre

The Duchess Theatre began a distinguished career as a home for both drama and comedy when it opened with the war play "Tunnel Trench" in 1929. Prominent productions have included the 1936 London d...

Place, Theatre

1 memorial
Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre

Richard D'Oyly Carte intended the theatre to be the home of English grand opera, as a counterpart to the light operas that were produced at the Savoy Theatre, and it opened with Sir Arthur Sullivan...

Building, Theatre

2 memorials
Mrs Dallas-Glyn

Mrs Dallas-Glyn

Born Edinburgh, Scotland as Isabella Gearns. Actress who adopted her mother’s maiden name of Glyn. In spite of her parents’ objections she went to Paris with her first husband Edward Wills to study...

Person, Theatre, Scotland

1 memorial