Online exhibitions
Browse our digital exhibitions, created in partnership with Google Arts & Culture.
An architectural history of the National Theatre part I
Discover the story of the architects who built the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
An architectural history of the National Theatre part II
Follow the story of how the National Theatre was built and opened to the public in 1976.
Black Plays at the National Theatre
How Black writers and directors have used theatre to explore issues at the heart of our society.
Bright Young Tings
Explore this collection of photographs from the Michael Mayhew collection. A snapshot into the work developed by Black theatre makers between 1979-1982.
Costume at the National Theatre
Exploring the work of the costume department and the skills that go into making the world of a play.
Greek tragedy at the National Theatre
Exploring the challenges of staging Greek tragedy at the National Theatre.
National Theatre posters
Explore the history of the National Theatre’s visual expression through its poster designs.
Nowhere to Call Home
Nowhere to Call Home was a 2018 outdoor projection at the National Theatre in London and online audio experience exploring the human issues around climate change and forced migration.
Playing with scale
Discover how theatre designers use scale models through seven National Theatre productions from 1977 to 2018.
Photograph by James Bellorini of Soutra Gilmour’s set design for Antigone at the National Theatre, 2012.
The role of the theatre designer
Dive into the role of the theatre designer, examining the work of Jocelyn Herbert, William Dudley and Rae Smith.
Shakespeare at the National Theatre
The story of Shakespeare at the National Theatre in eight productions.
Staging children's stories
How has the National Theatre created stories for children?
More to explore
Black Plays Archive
Discover the Black Plays Archive – an online catalogue of the first professional theatre production in the UK of plays written by African, Caribbean and Black British playwrights.
Teaching resources
Introducing our new online library of teaching resources, searchable by key stage, genre or production area. Explore rehearsal diaries, interviews with practitioners and much more.
