Tours and Tickets to Experience London National Theatre

Tickets to a show at the National Theatre in London vary depending on the show, seat, performance time, and date of purchase. Expect to pay between £20 and £100 for a ticket. UK residents aged 16–25 can buy a limited number of tickets for £10 or less.

The Box Office at the National Theatre sells unsold tickets as standby tickets, 60 minutes before a performance. Standby tickets are up to £15 cheaper than regular tickets. Students, stage pass holders, SOLT and theater union members, NCA members, and the unemployed get these tickets for £20, when available.

You can buy tickets to London’s National Theatre online at the theater’s website, in person or over the phone from its Box Office. Tickets can also be bought online from Official London Theatre or another member of STAR, the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers.

There are three auditoriums at London’s National Theatre: the Olivier theatre, Lyttelton theatre, and Dorfman theatre. For the best views of the stage, choose seats in the center of the stalls, partway up. The cheapest seats are close to the stage and at the edges — but they don’t provide the best views.

There is no dress code for the National Theatre in London, and you’ll be permitted entry wearing (almost) anything, but smart-casual dress is most appropriate. First previews, press nights, galas, and opening nights tend to have a fancier crowd than other shows, and smart-casual or low-key evening attire is ideal.

If you want to take the tube to London’s National Theatre, the nearest stations are Waterloo on the Northern, Bakerloo, and Jubilee lines, which is a 7-minute walk, and Embankment on the Northern, Bakerloo, District, and Circle lines, a 10-minute walk over the Hungerford Bridge across the Thames.