So, did you know that at the National Theatre you get a free ENTRY PASS if you are between 16-25 yrs young. This is a membership schedule that gives you access to workshops, events, newsletters, £5 tickets to all NT productions, discounts at the shops and cafes, backstage tours …. oh! and props hire – yes, you could sign your neighbour up, and get them to hire out a large stable full of hay from War Horse, you get the picture.
Also, did you know about PLATFORMS ? They are amazing talks (pre-performance events) celebrating all aspects of the arts, offering the chance to learn about the National’s work and discover more about theatre in general. Platforms usually start at 6pm and last for 45 minutes. There are occasional afternoon events that have a longer running time. Really, I think I might just move the family and our tent down to the Southbank for the summer. You coming ? Here is the info on the family tours that is also fantastic, break a leg please. xo
Family Tours (and a peek ahead at what to book)
Theatre Tours : Discover how the theatres shows come to life with a sneak peek behind the scenes on one of the National Theatre’s special family tours. The tours allow you to visit unseen and backstage areas, handle props from previous productions and try out some costumes. The tours last approximately 60 minutes and are suitable for children aged 5 – 12.
Costume Tours : Selected Saturdays, 10am, £12.50. See the craft and skill of the NT’s costume team including the cutting room, dye shop and wig room. Approx 2hrs. All tours bookers receive 25% off in the Espresso Bar and 15% off in the NT Bookshop.
If you are taking a day trip to the Southbank, have a read of our write up here … it’s a perfect place to take the whole family, meet friends, or just grab a coffee and check your ASOS wish-list when you catch a precious day-off.
Tickets: Adults £8.50 (for each paying adult up to 3 children go free). Note: As the National Theatre is a working building they cannot take children under the age of 5. Check the website for further details of dates over the holidays. Or for more information: Call: 020 7452 3400 : info@nationaltheatre.org.uk. Ps. When you visit, you can use your Family Tour tickets to get great discounts on food and drink, as well as in the shop to buy something to take home as a memento of your day.
SHOWS COMING – SO GET BOOKING NOW …
You head it here first, the National Theatre production of The Elephantom. The show opens at the New London Theatre on the 30 June and will run for 10 weeks. It’s an ideal show for young children over the school holidays.
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets (Age 11+) : This unique and critically acclaimed show returns for a limited run of only six performances.When Agnes Eaves and her daughter arrive late one night, does it signal hope in this hopeless place, or has the real horror only just begun? Following two sell-out runs at the National, the acclaimed show by award-winning company 1927 returns. Seamlessly synchronizing live music, performance and storytelling with stunning film and animation, The Animals and Children… is a theatrical journey of startling originality, like a giant graphic novel burst into life.
Treasure Island (10 yrs +) December 2014 : This winter, Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story is brought to life on the Olivier stage in a thrilling new adaptation by Bryony Lavery. As the nights grow shorter in the northern hemisphere. The bright winter constellations move towards the west…Not one of us must breathe a word of what we’ve found…
More performances to be announced. £12 tickets for UK schools : Projects and workshops for KS2 – KS4 students : nationaltheatre.org.uk/secondary
January 2015 : A new play by Tom Stoppard will open in the Dorfman Theatre in January 2015, directed by Nicholas Hytner.
February 2015 : Man and Superman
Ralph Fiennes will return to the National as John Tanner in Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman, directed by Simon Godwin in the Lyttelton, opening in February 2015.
March 2015 : Rules for Living, a new play by Sam Holcroft, directed by Marianne Elliott, will open in the Dorfman Theatre in March 2015.
Creative Bus Stop 