National Theatre

 

The National Theatre in London is one of the most famous and beloved stages in the world! It is a privilege to perform there, so many people wish to work in this theatre and countless never get the chance. The performance in the theatre are all amazing and special in their own ways; to name a few; War Horse, Macbeth, and Pinocchio. Not to mention the famous talents who have performed there; David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Sir Ian McKellan. The National Theatre is a staple for actors, future actors, and the general public in order to experience a massive theatre and true theatre productions.

The National Theatre is gifted a grant of £16.4 million, so that they can create a production that tours the country. This gives everyone the opportunity to see amazing theatre performances. The first ever production to tour the country was ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare. The play was such a big hit that they were able to continue performing across the country over the years. The National Theatre’s wide reach has only served to amplify the acting and performing world. In the play ‘We're On The Road’ - in 2017-18, there was ten shows on tour in 36 towns and cities across the UK. All this added up to 115 weeks’ worth of performances, squeezed into one year. This is a crazy amount!

Public funding for the arts makes up just 0.05% of Government spending and delivers a return of £5 in taxes for every £1 invested. This modest investment in the Arts is one of the reasons why the Creative Industries are one of the fastest growing industries. However, at the minute this is not the case. Covid-19 has hit the arts the hardest next to the hospitality industry. Without audiences to perform to and a ban on large gatherings this has left theatres empty for the better part of a year. The hope is to create virtual performances that can be broadcast in every home to kickstart the industry once more. 

The National Theatre is a remarkable place for all actors young and old, it has held hundreds of performances and phenomenal pieces of work. It is a staple of the performing arts community. Several different productions can be seen in any one week and there are over 1,000 performances every year, given by a company of 150 actors to over 600,000 people.  With many more seeing NT productions in the West End on tour or via NT Live cinema broadcasts. The National Theatre provides hours of entertainment and even more opportunities for actors. We can only hope it opens its doors again soon.