Lyttelton - National Theatre
South Bank, London, SE1 9PX
Lyttelton - National Theatre Tickets
Cloud 9
Lyttelton - National Theatre
Tickets from £30.00This modern classic from Caryl Churchill, one of Britain's most influential playwrights, offers a daring and satirical exploration of gender, power and the legacies of empire, by transposing a colonial administrator and his family from Victorian-era colonial Africa to 1970s London. Directed by Dominic Cooke and featuring a fiercely talented cast, this revival of Churchill's landmark work is filled with audacious theatricality and razor-sharp wit.
- Opens: Monday, 2 November 2026
Booking until: Wednesday, 13 January 2027
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: Wednesday, 13 January 2027
Mr Loverman
Lyttelton - National Theatre
Tickets from £30.00Bernardine Evaristo's best-selling novel comes to the stage for the first time in this riveting adaptation by Natasha Gordon. Spanning six decades of life from Antigua to modern-day London, Mr Loverman follows seventy-four-year-old Barrington Walker, an upstanding member of his Hackney community who has secretly been having an affair with his best friend Morris for the past sixty years. Danny Sapani stars as the irresistible, charming Barry in this funny, heartwarming, and life-affirming exploration of the British Caribbean community.
- Opens: Thursday, 25 February 2027
Booking until: Saturday, 24 April 2027
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 24 April 2027
Plenty
Lyttelton - National Theatre
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) will make her National Theatre debut in this new production of the award-winning play by David Hare, in which former secret agent Susan Traherne struggles to adjust to a mundane life in the aftermath of the Second World War. Former National Theatre Director Richard Eyre directs, marking a celebrated reunion between Eyre and Hare. The play will be staged ahead of its 50th anniversary and Hare's 80th birthday. Don't miss this powerful, harrowing revival that feels deeply resonant with modern Britain.
- Opens: To be announced
Booking until: To be announced
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: To be announced
Death of a Salesman
Lyttelton - National Theatre
4.7 19 reviews 4.7 19 reviews Tickets from £209.50Rebecca Frecknall directs a new staging of Arthur Miller's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning Death of a Salesman, widely considered one of the greatest American plays. Follow tragic everyman Willy Loman, a despondent salesman losing his grip on reality, on the last day of his life, in a scathing deconstruction of the American Dream. It features a star-studded cast, including Paul Mescal, Monica Dohan, and Tracy Letts in his UK stage acting debut.
- Opens: To be announced
Booking until: To be announced - Starring: Sharon D Clarke, Wendell Pierce
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: To be announced
A Whistle in the Dark
Lyttelton - National Theatre
Tom Murphy's powerful, harrowing play follows a criminal family of Irish immigrants settled in Coventry, exploring cycles of violence, family and tribal loyalty, and generational brutality that's as inescapable as it is destructive. Paul Mescal stars as Michael Carney in this bold new revival directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, returning to the National Theatre for its exciting, ambitious new season. Don't miss the return of an Irish masterpiece that speaks just as boldly to us as when it was written.
- Opens: To be announced
Booking until: To be announced
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: To be announced
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Lyttelton - National Theatre
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £84.00Cherished British comedians Mawaan Rizwan and George Fouracres star as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in this revival of Tom Stoppard's classic absurdist comedy. Follow the bumbling duo as they wander aimlessly through the background of famous tragedy Hamlet, in a dizzying tale that explores free will, existentialism, and the absurdity of fate with all of Stoppard's signature wit, cleverness, and humour.
- Opens: To be announced
Booking until: To be announced - Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Joshua McGuire
- Playing at: Lyttelton - National Theatre
- Booking until: To be announced
Lyttelton - National Theatre Facilities
- Air conditioned
- Bar
- Disabled toilets
- Infrared hearing loop
- Restaurant
- Toilets
- Wheelchair/scooter access
Lyttelton - National Theatre Location
Travel Information
Nearest Tube station
- Temple
- Waterloo
Nearest Rail Station
- Waterloo
Tube lines
- Circle
- District
- Bakerloo
- Jubilee
- Northern
- Waterloo & City
Day buses
- (Waterloo Road) 1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 76, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521, RV1, X68
Night buses
- (Waterloo Road) 139, 176, 188, 243, 341, N1, N68, N76, N171, N343
Lyttelton - National Theatre Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to the Lyttelton Theatre?
The Lyttelton is one of the three auditoriums in the National Theatre complex on the South Bank, London SE1 9PX. The nearest Underground stations are Waterloo, a five-minute walk, then Southwark and Embankment at roughly ten each. The building has several entrances; the Lyttelton is signed from the main riverside foyer, one level up from the Olivier's.
Is the Lyttelton Theatre an accessible space?
Yes. Entry is step-free by way of a ramped foyer, and customer lifts reach every level. Wheelchair spaces sit in Stalls row V, reached from the foyer without a single step, and there are rear aisle seats suited to transfers. Across the National's three theatres you will also find captioned, audio-described, British Sign Language interpreted and relaxed performances scheduled through the season.
What time should I arrive at the Lyttelton Theatre?
Thirty minutes before the start is the sensible target. It leaves room for the bag check at the door, for the lift or stairs up to the Lyttelton level, and for the merchandise stand, which carries programmes, cast recordings and show-specific items. Latecomers are admitted only at a suitable break in the performance, and in a proscenium house that may not come quickly.
Is there a dress code at the Lyttelton Theatre?
There is none. Wear what you like; the only practical consideration is that you will be sitting for a couple of hours, so something you are comfortable in beats something smart. An extra layer is rarely wasted. If dressing up is half the pleasure of a night out for you, nobody here will think it out of place.
Can I take photographs inside the Lyttelton Theatre?
No photography or filming while the show is running. Before it starts, after it ends and during the curtain call you are free to take pictures — the proscenium arch and the set framed within it make the obvious shot. Phones should be silent and out of sight for the rest, since the Lyttelton's seating faces the stage squarely and a lit screen reads from a long way back.
Does the Lyttelton Theatre have a cloakroom, and is there a charge?
Yes, free of charge. One cloakroom serves the whole National Theatre, so it is shared with the Olivier and the Dorfman: leave coats and any bag too big for your lap there before you go up to the Lyttelton. Security check bags at the entrance, which is worth factoring into your arrival time.
Lyttelton - National Theatre history
From the outside
The Lyttleton Theatre is part of the massive National Theatre complex, a modern series of 1970s concrete blocks on the South Bank of the Thames just a stone’s throw from Covent Garden. Inside it’s a masterpiece of acoustic excellence with no pillars or posts to impede the audience’s view of the stage.
Lyttleton Theatre architecture and history
The Lyttelton Theatre part of the National Theatre complex, which is made up of three theatres: the enormous Olivier Theatre with its open stage, the Lyttelton Theatre plus the small and intimate Cottesloe Theatre. In total they seat more than two and a half thousand people.
The Lyttleton is named after Oliver Lyttelton, also known as Viscount Chandos, whose parents were among the original group who campaigned for a National Theatre. He was also the National’s first chairman.
The Lyttleton is well known for its carefully created shape, which delivers superb acoustics and a really good view of the stage for everyone, unlike many older theatres. There are pillars or rails to interrupt the view and the acoustics are equally good across every seat.
The National's first performance, in 1963, starred Peter O'Toole as Hamlet and was directed by Sir Laurence Olivier. The company’s first thirteen years were spent at the Old Vic Theatre and they didn’t move into their current South Bank home, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth, until 1976.
The National has hosted more than 500 plays since then and it’s one of those rare venues where you can catch several different productions a week.
Richard Eyre replaced Peter Hall as Director between ‘88 and ’97 at which point Trevor Nunn took over until 2003. The current Director of the company is Nicholas Hytner.
The National's building has recently been refurbished, with the help of money from the National Lottery fund.
Past shows at Lyttleton Theatre
Previous shows at the Lyttleton Theatre include Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, The factual show Greenland, Clifford Odets’ 1983 Rocket to the Moon and Alan Ayckbourn's famous Season's Greetings, an entertaining look at a typical family Christmas. Men Should Weep, set in 1930s Glagow, appeared there as did Blood and Gifts, a tense political thriller from the author of The Overwhelming, which also played at the National in 2006. Numerous other hit shows have played at the Lyttleton Theatre including The Habit of Art, The White Guard, The Power of Yes, Burnt by the Sun and the highly acclaimed The Pitmen Painters.
Lyttleton Theatre access
The Lyttleton, like the rest of the National, is dedicated to access for everyone. They provide audio-described performances and captioned performances and aims to be accessible and welcoming to all.
Lyttleton Theatre tickets
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