The National Theatre General Thread

Weren't they going to put some big glass dome over the whole NT complex at some point. What happened to that?

I've said this before, but I thought one of the goals of the last NT refurb was to link the Dorfman more strongly with the rest of the NT, so I had assumed that some internal linkage would be done - I guess that's not possible given where the stage door is and the upper levels of that corner are (I believe) all the NT admin offices. I do think it's disappointing that they couldn't make the Dorfman foyer more appealing, it always feels like standing in an anteroom rather than a theatre foyer. The cloakroom queues and mixing with toilet-goers and the odd box office where the two people can't do the same thing so you can get redirected to the other person, it just doesn't seem well thought-through.

I don't mind the auditorium, but I'm always in the pit or first level. Again, the circulation seems poorly-designed (I remember reading that the Bridge was conceived as a giant Dorfman, and it has the same issues of egress at the end of a show). I'm a fan of the Olivier auditorium but it takes a special type of production to do it justice. The Lyttleton is a bit meh for me - its width makes it difficult to convey intimacy but again when it works it can be pretty special.

I am a fan of the NT building (I like concrete), but I go less often than I used to, and I'm generally less excited when I do, but that's probably because they've stopped super-serving my demographic, and I'm OK with that.

(PS dontcha love it when a mod mods another mod)

Yes, the first time I went to the refurbished Dorfman that room was open and it made a nice foyer. No idea why they shut it! I generally go upstairs as its more roomy. And agree the bar queues (which generally reach as far as the tables) which people have to walk through to get to the looks and cloakrooms, make it a very unpleasant space.

The room to the left sometimes seems to be used for stuff, when I went last there was clearly some invite only thing going on as people wandered in and go ejected as it wasn't really clear that it wasn't just a continuation of the room.
If I ever go there at any time other than just before a performance to have a look on the viewer gallery thing (which is generally less interesting than it could be) I always feel like I might be in a place i'm not allowed and will be asked to leave as if you didn't know you could be there, there's precious little to show you. And yes it's a right pain to leave unless you're right by the exist doors, seems to take as long as much larger spaces.

Or I was thinking about the Wave

Horrible idea and I'm glad it never happened.

www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2016/09/10/unbuilt-london-a-giant-glass-wave-over-the-south-bank/amp/

Thanks for posting the articles and photos which I had not seen before. What a mess. No idea have they?

And David - 👀 I’m watch’ ya.

We don’t need another bridge but more gardens would be nice. Was at The Bridge theatre t’other night and thought that they should have extended the garden, Potters’ Fields to the walks beside the river.

Great idea.

I have never seen that training and meeting theatre ever used? Surely when they do use this is, it is during the day, why not just use the Dorfman space for that instead and open up that space for better ambiance.

I was going to get tickets to a few things but I highly doubt they'll be open next week.

Gosh what bargains indeed but even if it's still opting to be open there's a heck of a load of tickets available, soon surely won't be viable to stay open? I put off seeing things till nearer the end of their runs to avoid possible winter snow etc. that has not played out well this year.