The Olivier Theatre (part of the Royal National Theatre) was named after the theatre's first artistic director Sir Laurence Olivier, and is the main auditorium in the Royal National Theatre complex. The theatre has an open stage and a fan shaped audience after being modelled on the ancient Greek theatre at Epidaurus seating area for 1,160 people.
Commonly known as 'The National Theatre', the Royal National Theatre is one of the UK's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the 'RSC'.
The company was based at Waterloo in The Old Vic Theatre from 1963 until 1976. The venue has 3 stages, which all opened individually between 1976 and 1977. The National presents a varied programme of works, including plays by Shakespeare and many other international classic dramas. New plays by contemporary playwrights are also performed and each auditorium in the theatre can stage up to three shows in repertoire, thus widening the number of plays that can be performed during any single season.
During the 2009-2010 season, the theatre began to stage 'National Theatre Live', a program of simulcasts of live productions to movie theatres in other cities, first in the UK and then internationally. The first season it broadcast productions of three separate plays and in the 2010-2011 season, it added additional productions from other companies, in collaboration with both Complicite and the Donmar Warehouse.
Theatre tickets for all performances at the Olivier Theatre in London can be purchased securely through this website.
FAQ's About Booking Tickets At The Olivier Theatre
I Have Booked Tickets At The National Theatre But It Says 'Olivier Theatre' On The Ticket?
There are three separate theatre's in the National Theatre complex on the South Bank. The Olivier Theatre, The Lyttelton Theatre and The Dorfman Theatre that all showcase separate productions throughout the year so all London theatre tickets to productions at the National Theatre will state which venue they are to be held in.
Where Are The Best Seats Located In The Olivier Theatre?
There are two levels in the venue - the stalls on the ground floor with a direct view of the stage and the circle on the first floor looking down. Both sections have quite a steep raking of the seats offering good and unobstructed views of the stage so when booking tickets at the Olivier Theatre it is recommended that you take into account whether you prefer to view the stage directly from the a ground floor level or from an elevated level looking down? There are very few seats that feature restrictions in the Olivier Theatre, however the first three rows of seats in the stalls section do not have any arm rests and are also slightly narrower than the other seats and may sometimes have slightly obstructed views depending on the layout of the production.
Why Do My Tickets At The National Theatre Come With A Booking Fee?
All of the productions showcased at the venues in the National Theatre are scheduled for limited seasons and very often feature well known actors so there do not tend be many official discount tickets at the National Theatre. The producers of all productions understandably wish to maximise profit for their shows and although they will happily use third party suppliers and agencies to sell their tickets, it is often the case that they will sell at full price to them - meaning that all tickets sold at the National Theatre online through third party websites will probably have a booking fee added to the face value of the ticket. To avoid paying booking fees at the national it can be beneficial to book directly from the box office.
