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The National Theatre turned 50 this weekend, which may surprise those who remember the National Theatre turning 50 back in 2013. That’s because for the first 13 years of its life the NT didn’t actually have a proper home – it instead did seasons at the Old Vic and in Chichester. It was only in 1975 that its iconic South Bank building was completed and the nation’s flagship theatre finally had a fixed abode.
To celebrate, a new installation just outside the theatre called 50 Stories for 50 Years will offer a selection of memories of the NT from the likes of Hugh Jackman, Lesley Manville, Lucian Msamati, David Oyelowo, Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter, plus archive musings from past icons like Laurence Olivier, Peter Hall and the NT’s architect Denys Lasdun.
To warm you up, a selection of the NT great and good have exclusively picked the great shows from the past that they wish they could have seen – or, indeed, see again.
The Romans in Britain (1980)
Indhu Rubasingham, artistic director and co-chief executive of the National Theatre
‘I’d loved to have seen Howard Brenton’s The Romans in Britain, first staged in the Olivier theatre in 1980. Directed by Michael Bogdanov, the production drew bold parallels between the Roman invasion of Celtic Britain and British military presence in Northern Ireland. It was seen as a controversial piece at the time, sparking a lawsuit from conservative activist and morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse over its graphic violence and receiving an intense media backlash. The production raised questions of censorship and artistic freedom, topics which are still relevant today. Sitting in the audience in the Olivier would have been a pivotal moment to witness the power of the National Theatre to challenge and test boundaries. Fifty years on from when the NT first opened on the South Bank, it’s more important than ever we back creative risk and bold new writing, creating the space for theatre to make powerful societal statements.’
The Mysteries (1985)
Jim Carter, actor
‘I’d love to go back to the Cottesloe Theatre (now the Dorfman Theatre) in 1984/5 for the final version of the Mystery Plays when we did all three plays – Nativity, The Passion and Doomsday – in a single day. I wouldn’t want to perform them again as they demanded a huge amount of energy and I’m now far too ancient (although the chance to do a more subtle performance would be quite welcome) but I would love to experience them as a member of the audience. On the three-show days the audience would sit on the theatre floor between performances, eating picnics and we’d often come down early to chat to them and then we’d all, cast and audience, join in a massive dance at the end of the day which felt quite cathartic. A very special event.’
The Wind in the Willows (1990)
Lesley Manville, actor
‘The NT show I wish I could see again would be The Wind in the Willows which was at the Olivier Theatre in 1990. My son (now 37) was too young to see it, but I could take my granddaughter now and she’d love it. Such a beautiful, funny, heartwarming production that used every inch of the Olivier stage and drum. Bring it back please!’
The Waves (2006)
Beth Steel, playwright
‘There are many gorgeous productions I would love to see again… Rufus Norris’s Death and the King’s Horsemen, Yaël Farber’s Les Blancs, Ian Rickson’s Translations to name a few but I’m going to choose Katie Mitchell’s production of Virginia’s Woolf’s The Waves; a seemingly impossible text to stage, and a reminder that nothing ever is. Its focus is the rhythm of life, how the quotidian unfolds in poetry and it was beautifully realised in sound, image and text. As a playwright who thrills in total theatre, the marshalling of every element available to the senses, this was inspiring for me at an early stage of my own practice – and a reminder still of what theatre can be: both a call to the everyday, and an explosion of it into wonder.’
London Road (2011)
Lisa McGrillis, actor
‘It’s really difficult to choose a single play that I have loved and would want to see again at the National Theatre, because there are so many. But there is something special about seeing new writing at the National, especially in the Dorfman Theatre as it’s such a unique and intimate space. I remember getting a standing ticket to see London Road when it premiered there in 2014. The shared experience of watching that play with an audience for the first time is something that I’ll never forget. I also love the Dorfman as I have so many special memories performing plays in that space! The Pitmen Painters! I once went on with the book in my hand in This House and most recently I played there in ‘Til the Stars Come Down. The National Theatre is so special to me, and as an actor, to be part of the National Theatre family, there is not a better place. I also met my husband at a Christmas party there, so I have a lot to thank the NT for.’
The Amen Corner (2013)
Kadiff Kirwan, actor
‘For me it would have to be The Amen Corner by James Baldwin in 2013, directed by Rufus Norris in the Olivier Theatre. This play changed what I thought was possible in the theatre, not just the performances by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Sharon D Clarke, Lucian Msamati but feeling of genuine community that the production fostered by the way the show was staged. The split-level set operated with such ease from the church and choir rehearsal scenes into the home where secrets slowly started to destroy this family. It was something to behold: the fluidity of the set meant that there was zero respite for the characters, they just had to keep on going, just like in life. There was a moment I looked across the Olivier auditorium from my seat to see a crying lady handing over a tissue to a man in front of her who also couldn’t stop weeping. This was the moment I felt that at its purest, theatre has healing powers. This production will forever stay with me.’
The National Theatre has announced its 2027 programme.
The best new London theatre shows to book for in 2026 and 2027.
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