Dorfman - National Theatre

Yes, free of charge. The Dorfman is the smallest of the National Theatre's three auditoriums and shares the building's single cloakroom with the Olivier and the Lyttelton, so leave coats and anything bulky there before you go in. It matters more here than in the larger houses: the Dorfman is a flexible room with seating close to the action and very little spare floor space. Security check bags at the entrance.

The Dorfman is the smallest of the three theatres in the National Theatre on the South Bank, SE1 9PX, and it has its own entrance on the east side of the building — the side away from the river walk, which catches people out. Waterloo is five minutes away, Southwark and Embankment about ten. Follow the signs for the Dorfman specifically rather than heading for the main riverside foyers.

Yes, and the Dorfman's own entrance is the reason: it sits on the east side of the National Theatre with ramped access and an automated door. There is a step-free drop-off point on the private road to the east of the building, giving a step-free route right through. The circle seats and the wheelchair-user spaces are reached through swing doors on the ground-floor foyer level, and a lift from the Dorfman foyer serves further facilities. Across the National's three theatres, captioned, audio-described, British Sign Language interpreted and relaxed performances are scheduled through the season. Mention that you need a wheelchair space when you book, on 020 7452 3961 or online, since the room is reconfigured from production to production.

Thirty minutes before the start, and a few more on a first visit while you find the Dorfman's own entrance on the east side. Bags are checked at the door and the free cloakroom serves the whole building. The Dorfman is the most intimate of the three auditoriums, seating is close in and latecomers are held until a suitable break, which in a short piece may not come at all.

Not during the performance. Before it, afterwards and at the curtain call you are welcome to. This matters more here than in the larger National auditoriums: the Dorfman is a flexible room where the audience often sits within a few feet of the actors, so a lit screen is seen from the stage as clearly as from the row behind you. The room itself is worth a photograph, since it is rebuilt for each production.