Report on Trip to the National Theatre
At 11.00am on Wednesday 18 January, 16 members of our group gathered in the foyer of the National Theatre for our planned backstage tour.
Our guide, Jack, started by saying that the National Theatre was the brain-child of Sir Laurence Olivier.
For the first 13 years the company performed in the Old Vic theatre. In 1976 the company moved into the current building which had been designed by Denys Lasdun. Jack explained that there are 3 theatres within the building and took us to see two of them:- The Olivier Theatre has a fan-shaped auditorium accommodating just over 1100 people. He said that in the centre of the stage there is a drum (for moving props on to and off the stage) that extends 5 levels down.
We saw the Lyttleton Theatre, which is a far more conventional setup. It is a proscenium arch theatre but can be adapted in many ways. 890 people can be accommodated in this theatre.
Unfortunately, due to rehearsals, we did not see the Dorfman theatre (formally the Cottesloe Theatre). Jack told us that The National Theatre employs over 100 technicians making props, costumes and creating the scenery. It is considered to be the largest factory within zone 1. He took us through scenery workshops (hence the need for high-viz jackets) and then along the Sherling High-Level walkway which overlooks other workshops. After the tour, several members went into one of the many on-site restaurants or cafes to have lunch before travelling home.
I must thank Jack for making our morning so absorbing and interesting, but above all, I must thank Diana and Sheila for arranging this trip.