The National Theatre building is currently closed to the public.

When performances restart, from 21 October 2020, the building will open approximately 75 minutes before performances begin and will be accessible to ticket holders only.

Ticket holders will be asked to arrive at specific time slots, which will be indicated when selecting tickets, and on the E-tickets which will be sent shortly after purchase.

On days when there are matinee and evening performances, the building will be closed between performances to allow for cleaning.

Yes, as our bars and restaurants will not be open as usual, we ask that you pre-order drinks and snacks before the performance, so our staff can prepare the refreshments for your arrival. 

You will have the option to place your order during the ticket booking process, and you will have a further opportunity to do so in our pre-show emails. 

Please note the Ashcroft Room Members Bar is also currently closed and refreshments will need to be pre-ordered on our website or via the Development Team. 

No, we are currently only offering e-tickets. You will receive these via email after booking, and you can print them at home or show them on a mobile device. 

National Theatre, South Bank

There will be no cloakroom available during your visit.  

We will only be allowing bags measuring less than 30cm x 30cm x 15cm into the building.

Larger bags cannot be accomodated and ticket holders will be refused entrance if they have large bags.

Our usual security measures are also in place, and staff may ask to search bags on arrival. 

West End theatres
Large bags are also not permitted into the auditoriums of our West End productions, and currently cloakrooms are unavailable so if you have a large bag you will be refused entry to the theatre.

Details on how to get to the National Theatre can be found in the 'Venues at the National Theatre' section of 'Your Visit', including our car parking and bicycle storage facilities. 

We strongly encourage you to check your allocated arrival time before planning your journey. 

Please be aware that, due to the socially-distanced one-way system in effect, there will not be the usual direct access from the car park to the theatre foyer(s), as all customers will be requested to join a queue outside the National Theatre building.  

If you require step-free access from the car park, please contact boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk in advance of your visit and we will be happy to facilitate. 

The health and safety of our audiences is incredibly important. 

You are therefore able to exchange tickets up to 24 hours before your performance – so if someone in your party feels ill, there’s no need to worry. 

• Use this request form if you have your order details to hand, or cannot remember your login details
• Go to My Events (you will be prompted to login if you are not already) and select the performance, and you will find a link to a return for credit voucher form that will auto-populate your order details.

Click here to read our full ticketing Terms and Conditions.  

Please remember, it is important that you do not attend the theatre if you: 

• believe you may be infected with COVID-19 
• have experienced symptoms in the last 14 days 
• have been in close proximity to anyone who has experienced symptoms in the last 14 days 
• have arrived in England in the last 14 days from a country where UK quarantine restrictions apply 
• have been instructed to self-isolate

We encourage anyone in your group that is clinically vulnerable, or who is in the same household or social bubble as someone who considers themselves vulnerable, to make their own assessment whether they should attend. 

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout our foyer areas. The network name is NT Public and does not require a password. If you have trouble accessing our Wi-Fi, please visit the box office on the ground floor for information and assistance.

Photography and filming is not permitted in any of our auditoriums but ticket-holders are welcome to take pictures in our foyers to document your visit to the National Theatre.

Filming or commercial photography must be arranged in advance. Please contact us for more details.

The National Theatre building on the South Bank is home to the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres.

Due to COVID-19, all three theatres are currently closed. The Olivier Theatre reopens in October 2020.

National Theatre shows often transfer to the West End, and details can be found in the 'Other venues' section of Your Visit.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the National Theatre building will only be open to ticket-holders for performances on the day.

For days when there is are matinee and evening perfformances, only ticket-holders for the specific performance will be admitted to the foyers, and the building will be closed between performances to facilitate cleaning.

There is a Travelex ATM machine which issues British Pounds, Euros and American Dollars, located in the Lyttelton Stalls foyer next to the glass lift.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

Our teams have been hard at work transforming our public spaces to protect your safety and wellbeing, while also giving you the best possible audience experience. 

When booking your tickets, you will be allocated an arrival time based on the location of your seats in the auditorium. It is very important you plan ahead and arrive at the theatre at this time, so we can ensure the smoothest possible entry into the building.

Please go to the front of the building, by the riverside, and join the correct queue for either the Stalls or Circle tickets.

Members of our team will be on hand to help with your arrival, and once you are inside, will show you to your seated table, reserved for you and your household or social bubble. All pre-ordered refreshments and complimentary programmes will be waiting for you at your table on your arrival.

Following a short wait, our team will show you into the Olivier theatre and ask that you follow our socially distanced one-way system to your seat. Please be aware that this may not be the route you are used to taking, and there may be additional steps, so please inform us as soon as possible if you have any access needs.  

To ensure your safety and wellbeing, we ask that you arrive at a specific time so we can seat you comfortably in one of our Front of House areas before the performance.

Your arrival time will be clearly listed on your e-ticket(s) so we strongly encourage you to check this in advance. 

Should you miss your arrival time, we may have to ask that you wait a short while for other audience groups to enter.

Yes, in accordance with recently published government guidelines, we will be collecting your details for NHS Track and Trace. More details about this will be shared once they are made available.

In addition to your arrival time, you will be asked to join a specific queue in a designated area outside of the National Theatre building. Please go to the main entrance of the National Theatre, facing the riverside, where staff will be on hand to direct you.  

Please be aware that some entrances have steps. If you require step-free access please contact boxoffice@ so they can assist you with your booking.

Yes – aside from when you are eating or drinking, we ask that you wear a face covering at all times, and our staff will be wearing clear face visors. 

Rest assured, we are aware that some people cannot wear masks for health reasons. If this applies to you, click here to download a TfL exemption card. This card is not mandatory, but it will make your visit smoother as our teams can easily identify you as exempt. 

On arrival, you and your group will be shown to a dedicated, physically distanced table that will be exclusively yours for the pre-show period.  All pre-ordered refreshments will be brought to this table. 

Where necessary, we ask that you maintain a distance of 1m+ from other audience members where possible.  

While the capacity of the auditorium has been greatly reduced, you may still need to pass someone to take your seat, so please help reduce any risk by wearing your face covering and turning away as you pass. 

There will be a maximum of 500 audience members at any one performance (reduced from the Olivier theatre’s usual capacity of 1,100).  

You can expect around 30 members of Front of House staff to be on hand to make your visit as smooth and as safe as possible.

No, until further notice we are unable to fulfil orders at the theatre so we ask that you pre-order your refreshments. 

Yes, a free 8-page programme will be available for each person of your group, and can be found on your dedicated table in the foyer on arrival. 

Yes, you will have access to toilets throughout the theatre, and members of our team will be on hand to advise you of the nearest to your location.

Please be aware that you will find certain sinks, cubicles and urinals out of use, so we can maintain social-distancing in those areas. 

Yes, we will have hand sanitiser stations available throughout the building. We ask all audience members to follow government advice on regular handwashing or use of hand sanitiser.

Please be aware that not all areas of the National Theatre have reopened to the public.  Our staff will be on hand to show you around, and all relevant areas will be clearly signposted.

As per government guidelines, staff, cast and crew will not be routinely tested for COVID-19. However, they will be wearing face masks (except cast members while they are performing) and keeping their distance from one another as much as possible.  

Any member of staff who has any reason to believe they might test positive for COVID-19 will be asked not to attend until they have completed the appropriate amount of self-isolation or tested negative for the virus. 

Our team will be overseeing enhanced cleaning of public areas between every show, and all toilets will be deep cleaned during each performance.

We have a complex and efficient ventilation system in place within the large Olivier auditorium.  Fresh air, which is conditioned and filtered, is supplied constantly throughout the performance, and is not recycled or recirculated.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, there will not be a cloakroom available during your visit.

We will only be allowing bags measuring less than 30cm x 30cm x 15cm into the building.

Larger bags cannot be accomodated and ticket holders will be refused entrance if they have large bags.

Our usual security measures are also in place, and staff may ask to search bags on arrival.

The Government have confirmed that the 10pm closing time for the hospitality sector does not affect theatres.

Additionally, Death of England: Delroy has a running time of approximately 90 minutes, so the 7.30pm evening performances will finish around 9pm, and bars and foyer spaces will be closed following each performance.

Our production team has been hard at work transforming the Olivier Theatre to stage ‘in the round’ performances with 360° seating that has been specially designed for social distancing – this means that we can protect your safety and wellbeing while also protecting the unique intimacy of the live performance experience. 

The socially distanced capacity of the Olivier Theatre is just under 500 seats, consisting of socially-distanced seating for group sizes of 1-4 people.

Based on your seat location, you will be given a specific entry time and entrance to the auditorium. You will be supplied with these details in plenty of time before your visit.   

On entering the auditorium, you will be asked to follow our clearly sign-posted one-way system, and there will be staff on hand to assist at all times.

Yes, although the transformed space means that step-free seats may be different to those you have previously booked. 

Information about step-free access is contained in the Access section below. 

Yes – aside from when you are eating or drinking, we ask that you wear a face covering at all times.

Rest assured we are aware that some people cannot wear masks for health reasons. If this applies to you, please click here to download a TfL exemption lanyard. This card is not mandatory, but it will make your visit smoother as our teams can easily identify you as exempt. 

If you need to leave the auditorium before the start of the performance, our staff will aim to readmit and reseat you as quickly as possible.  

Unfortunately, as Death of England: Delroy does not have an interval, we’ll be unable to readmit you during the performance. 

We have a complex and efficient ventilation system in place within the large Olivier auditorium.  Fresh air, which is conditioned and filtered, is supplied constantly throughout the performance, and is not recycled or recirculated.

No, we ask that you leave immediately after the performance, even if you have a ticket for a performance later in the day, as our teams will use the time to begin the deep-clean process

Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to wait outside Stage Door.

Should you start to develop COVID-19 symptoms, we advise you to self-isolate and get tested as quickly as possible. Should you then test positive, NHS Test and Trace will ask for the places and people with which you’ve been in contact recently. They will then contact anyone you may have been in close contact with, including at the National Theatre, to advise next steps. 

Should an audience member at your performance test positive for COVID-19 afterwards, you may receive a call from NHS Test and Trace, asking you to get tested or self-isolate. We ask that you follow any advice they may give you. 

We sincerely hope you feel safe during your time with us, and enjoy the return of live performances to the National Theatre. 

As the industry begins to rebuild itself, we would greatly appreciate your support by sharing your experience on social media using #BackOnStage #DeathofEnglandDelroy and tagging @NationalTheatre 

We’re doing everything in our power to ensure our recovery is as swift as possible. But we still need help.  If you are in a position to do so, please consider donating to the National Theatre. 

Socially-distanced live performances begin in the Olivier Theatre from 21 October with a new one-person play – Death of England: Delroy. 

Tickets will go on sale to the public on 2 October, and full details of the performance schedule can be found here.

Ticketing, and safety measures for audiences are also available in the FAQs in this Help Centre.

At present all scheduled performances and events at the National Theatre have been cancelled.

Performances of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre, from 31 October 2020 to 5 February 2021 have been postponed and ticket holders will be contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds. The Ocean at the End of the Lane will now begin performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre from October 2021 for a limited season. Booking for the new performances opens from 24 September 2020.

Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Troubadour Wembley Park have been postponed and ticket holders have been contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds.

We are keeping up to date with government advice and will communicate news about future performances to our audiences as soon as we can. 

All performances scheduled to take place at the National Theatre have been cancelled.
All customers for cancelled performances at the National Theatre should have received an email from the Box Office team about their booking - if you had booked for a performance at the National Theatre and have not yet received this email, please contact us at: boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk 

Performances of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre, from 31 October 2020 to 5 February 2021 have been postponed and ticket holders will be contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds. The Ocean at the End of the Lane will now begin performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre from October 2021 for a limited season. Booking for the new performances opens from 24 September 2020.

Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Troubadour Wembley Park have been postponed and ticket holders have been contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds.

In these unprecedented times, if you can consider donating the cost of your tickets, please contact a member of our team at support@nationaltheatre.org.uk. The National Theatre is a charity and ticket sales are our single largest source of funding, so we would be hugely grateful of your support during this extended closure. 

At present we have postponed the following performances:

Performances of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre, from 31 October 2020 to 5 February 2021 have been postponed and ticket holders will be contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane will now begin performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre from October 2021 for a limited season. Booking for the new performances opens from 24 September 2020.

Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Troubadour Wembley Park have been postponed and ticket holders have been contacted with details of credit vouchers, or refunds.

All previously announced performances due to take place at the National Theatre.

Our whole public building is currently closed including our bars and restaurants, and our Archive and Costume & Props Hire.

Our Online Shop has re-opened, offering unique gifts, posters and playtexts. Click here to visit the National Theatre Online Shop

The health and safety of our audiences is incredibly important. 

You are therefore able to exchange tickets up to 24 hours before your performance – so if someone in your party feels ill, there’s no need to worry. 

• Use this request form if you have your order details to hand, or cannot remember your login details
• Go to My Events (you will be prompted to login if you are not already) and select the performance, and you will find a link to a return for credit voucher form that will auto-populate your order details.

Click here to read our full ticketing Terms and Conditions.  

Please remember, it is important that you do not attend the theatre if you: 

• believe you may be infected with COVID-19 
• have experienced symptoms in the last 14 days 
• have been in close proximity to anyone who has experienced symptoms in the last 14 days 
• have arrived in England in the last 14 days from a country where UK quarantine restrictions apply 
• have been instructed to self-isolate

We encourage anyone in your group that is clinically vulnerable, or who is in the same household or social bubble as someone who considers themselves vulnerable, to make their own assessment whether they should attend. 

Most of our staff are working from home, so please email us. Our phone lines are currently closed.

We apologise that it may take longer than usual to respond to your email, because we are prioritising requests relating to the cancelled performance period.

For general questions: feedback@nationaltheatre.org.uk

For ticketing enquiries: boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk

Details on how to get to the National Theatre can be found in the 'Venues at the National Theatre' section of 'Your Visit'.

The National Theatre’s car park is located under the building. The entrance ramp is on the southwest corner of the building, accessible from Upper Ground (the street that runs behind the National Theatre building).

Our car park is open from 6am to 12 midnight Monday to Friday and 7am to 12 midnight, Saturday & Sunday.
Please note: when the NT building is closed there is no step-free access from the car park. This applies Mon - Sat before 9.30am and after 11pm, all day on Sundays and at various times on Bank Holidays.
For holiday timings, please see the information on the Your Visit page

We have a taxi drop off outside Stage Door, allowing a step-free route around to the river-front side of the building, however this is a relatively long walk should you or a member of your group have mobility issues.

Should you require use of a wheelchair, please contact us on boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk and we will arrange one to be available on arrival.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for staff to assist with pushing wheelchairs.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

The National Theatre’s car park is located under the building. The entrance ramp is on the southwest corner of the building, accessible from Upper Ground (the street that runs behind the National Theatre building).

Our car park is open from 6am to 12 midnight Monday to Friday and 7am to 12 midnight, Saturday & Sunday.
Please note: when the NT building is closed there is no step-free access from the car park. This applies Mon - Sat before 9.30am and after 11pm, all day on Sundays and at various times on Bank Holidays.
For holiday timings, please see the information on the Your Visit page

The National Theatre car park is large but can become very busy especially on Saturdays and other matinee days. We recommend that you arrive early to ensure you can find a place to park.

If our car park is full, there is an externally managed car park behind the theatre on Upper Ground. Rates for this car park may vary.

Prices for customers attending performances at the National Theatre are detailed in the 'Cars' section under the Options for travelling to the National Theatre, on the Venues at the National Theatre page.

Parking information for Blue Badge Holders attending performances at the National Theatre are detailed in the 'Cars' section under the Options for travelling to the National Theatre, on the Venues at the National Theatre page.

Please be aware that, due to the socially-distanced one-way system in effect, there will not be the usual direct access from the car park to the theatre foyer(s), as all customers will be requested to join a queue outside the National Theatre building.  

If you require step-free access from the car park, please contact boxoffice@nationaltheatre.org.uk in advance of your visit and we will be happy to facilitate. 

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

Any items found within the National Theatre building are passed onto the security team. You can contact Security to check if your item has been handed in by calling 020 7452 3473.

If you have lost an item in the National Theatre building, please contact Security on 020 7452 3473 to check if it has been handed in. You will then be able to arrange collection of the item from Stage Door during our opening times.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

A range of pre-performance drinks and a sweet and a savoury snack will be available to pre-order, either when making your ticket purchase, or closer to the performance via a separate website (details will be sent in pre-visit emails)

Our restaurants and bars are currently closed, in line with COVID-19 government guidelines.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

Information on the National Theatre shows which are currently performing in the West End and other London venues can be found on the What's on page.

Tickets for our West End production can be booked with the National Theatre online. Tickets are also available from the presenting theatres.

Tickets for our touring productions are available from the individual local venues.

All information regarding our West End transfers and our touring shows can be found on the What's on page

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Backstage Tours are currently unavailable.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there are no exhibitions currently avaiable.

If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us