Backstage at the National Theatre!
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The week has been a whirlwind! This past Saturday, we headed to the beautiful sunny Southbank towards the National Theatre. Opened in 1976, the National Theatre is comprised of 3 different stages - the Olivier (a modern fan-shaped auditorium), the Lyttelton (a more traditional proscenium stage), and the Dorfman (a small, flexible seat space). One of the most prestigious theatres in London, we were able to book a backstage tour of the space and saw a majority of the building.
First we sat in the Olivier, where the production team was prepping to begin tech rehearsals for Peter Gynt, a modern reimagining of Ibsen's Peer Gynt, and learned about the founding of the National Theatre, as well as the architecture of the building and what type of shows were best suited to the large space.
After touring the house of the Lyttelton theatre, we headed backstage! Our guide took us through one of the rehearsal rooms, some of the prop storage areas, the rigging department, the carpentry shop, and the scenic art workshop. We even got to play around with some of the amazing props the the artisans at the National had created for various shows throughout the years.
After the tour wrapped up, we ate lunch on the banks of the Thames, then headed back inside the theatre to see Top Girls!
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