National Theater

National Theater

National Theater

National Theater
The National Theater
Artist	Attributed to Man vyi
Year	2008
Dimensions	55.2 cm × 43.8 cm ( 21 3⁄4 in ×  17 1⁄4 in)
Location	National Theater, London

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Overview

The National Theater (or as it is officially named the Royal National Theater) was first thought of in 1847 through pamplets and newspaper articles wanting a National Theatre that would preserve timeless classics as they were supposed to be performed. Officially, the Company opened in 1963 with a performance of Hamlet. From 1963 till 1976, the company was based at the Old Vic Theatre in Waterloo. The building that the company is in now was designed by architects Sir Denys Lasdun and Peter Softley.

Theater Space

There are three theaters within the National Theater; the Olivier theatre, the Lyttelton theatre and the Dorfman theatre. Each theater is different in accords to the size, style and design of each theater. This is meant to accommodate attendance, set design and sound acoustics that can be different for each performance.

Olivier Theatre

The Olivier Theatre is named after Laurence Olivier who was the first director of the National Theatre and an British actor. The Olivier Theatre is the largest of the three theatres and it can accommodate 1,150 people in its fan-shaped auditorium. The theater is designed to be able to include the whole audience in the production on stage. The design of the theater is based on the theaters found in Greece. The stage has a drum that can be used to change scenery and props. The floor can be brought down and lifted up. For the production of Treasure Island, this technology was used to make the stage look like a ship. The fly above is 20 meters high and has the capacity to lift a double decker bus.

Concrete balconies at The National Theatre, London

Lyttelton Theatre

According to the National Theater website, the Lyttelton Theatre was named after Oliver Lyttelton, who was the National Theatre's first chairman. This theater is a proscenium style that is know for excellent acoustics.This theater sits 890. The Lyttelton has an adjustable proscenium for different set design needs. It can be an open-ended stage or it can have a an orchestra pit.

Dorfman Theatre

The Dorfman Theatre most adjustable Theater of of the National Theater stages. It is a flexible seating rectangular room that can house up to 450 people. Because this theater is flexible with seating, each performance performed in the Dorfman Theatre has a different seating chart based on the stage design.