National Theatre London

Reviews

1. Afina Khadzhynova ★★★★★

   A wonderful experience at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre. I really enjoyed the theatre building itself. Despite its brutalist architecture, the interior feels warm, welcoming and surprisingly cosy. I was particularly struck by the concrete walls, whose subtle wood-grain textures give the space a unique and characterful atmosphere. The theatre is modern, comfortable and very well designed, with excellent views of the stage from any seat. I was sitting almost at the very top, in the Circle, and could still see everything perfectly, with nothing obstructing the view. Ballet Shoes was a pleasure to watch. I enjoyed the production, the set design and the story itself. Before the performance, the cast led a playful warm-up with the audience, which was unexpected, engaging and great fun. During the interval I stepped out onto the balcony and enjoyed the views over the Thames and the surrounding buildings. The location is another big plus. Coming from Brighton, I walked from London Blackfriars station and had a lovely, quick and scenic walk along the river. A small detail: the ice cream was 50p more expensive than in other theatres (£4.50 instead of £4), but it certainly didn’t affect the overall experience. I would happily return.

   almost 6 months ago
2. Penny Blake ★★★★★

   A lovely show - Ballet Shoes. Beautiful story, very well told with an excellent cast. A good mix of story telling and dance. The theatre was a very pleasant surprise - large airy and very comfortable seats

   almost 7 months ago
3. Ajith Dharmakeerthi ★★★★★

   We went to see hamlet . You can have a really good view from circle . Organisation is good. Hamlet is amazing production and hiran Abeysekara isa marvellous actor. Surrounding area is great place to walk.

   almost 8 months ago

1. maggie eaton ★★★★★

   Had a great tour. Patrick is a total star and pitched his content perfectly. A good mix of facts and anecdotes. We had a nice lunch on the terrace afterwards. All of the staff were lovely. The National had a great feel of being a loved and used community space as well as a theatrical venue. A great coffee and toilet spot, lunch spot or just somewhere for a rest. Highly recommended.

   almost 8 months ago
2. Yulia V ★★★★★

   Very inspiring atmosphere, impressive connection speed, and plenty of seating. The entrance is free (bag search). Gets a bit busy about 30 min before the performance (currently Inter Alia with Rosamund Pike). The building is a notable example of post-WWII Brutality architecture. While its radical minimalism and anti-aesthetics is not for everyone, it was fitting well the post-WWII resources deprivation and priorities re-evaluation (i.e. the shift from pompous public projects to NHS and other projects that prioritize human lives). Creative night lighting, both inside and outside, adds an extra visual appeal while preserving the core concepts of the style.

   almost 9 months ago
3. Azem Alptekin ★★★★★

   I love this theatre. Almost every week I’m going. Great plays, great organisation inside and very helpful crew leading people along the way. One can also just go there to sit and work and use the facilities. That’s also another great plus about this place. Definitely recommend everybody to visit there some time.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Funki Pickle ★★★★★

   Visited the National Theatre for the first time tonight and was impressed by the theatre and staff. We went to see HEX but it wasn’t our cup of tea. Actors, set and costumes were excellent but something was lacking for us with the music and script. Just didn’t gel with it and left at the interval. Glad to see others did enjoy it though.

   almost 3 years ago
2. David McCullough ★★★★★

   The National Theatre is so much more than just a place to experience some wonderful plays; it's also a great public space where people go to eat, read and browse a well resources theatre centric bookshop. Yes, like most popular venues it can get a little too busy for comfort but that's what happens as a victim of success! Always worth a dander and a butchers!

   almost 3 years ago
3. S hadowCatcha ★★★★★

   The best theatre there is. Bag search on the say in and then you can enjoy cafes and the really good bookshop on the ground floor. There are lots of stairs but lots of lifts too. The building works great ti crowd control so you are never standing in a line. Each floor has a bar. Multiple theatres. The most important part is that there are no bad seats, all the seats are good, just further away. The sets are beautiful, flawless, original. Seamless automation and beautifully painted. Lots of projectors and special effects.

   almost 3 years ago

1. helenp7 ★★★★★

   A wonderful place with a brilliant layout on the ground floor and reception to wonder around and get a drink at the bar before the performance. The bookshop is great too. It's not as easy to wonder around and see small exhibitions on the first floor or go get a snack in one of the food canteens or see see a music performance on the ground floor but really hoping it will get to the pre lockdown total joy that it was.

   almost 4 years ago

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