The Olivier Theatre is the largest of the three stages within the National Theatre complex on London’s South Bank; its sister stages are the mid-sized Lyttelton Theatre and smaller Dorfman Theatre. The complex is a bold, concrete construction that incorporates elements of Brutalist architecture and industrial 1960s design. The Olivier is named after the National Theatre’s first Artistic Director, legendary stage and screen actor Laurence Olivier. Olivier himself directed the first production to open the National Theatre; Hamlet starring Peter O’Toole in the title role.
The Olivier is unique in its use of the ‘drum revolve’, a giant rotating stage with elevators that allows complicated pieces of scenery to be erected on the stage within seconds and creates breath-taking set pieces to enhance each production.
In recent years the Olivier has hosted productions including War Horse , Danny Boyle’s re-imagining of Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden and Anaïs Mitchell’s musical Hadestown , all of which met with great critical acclaim.
