For the first time since 2019 we were able to take our students on a backstage tour of this amazing theatre during which we learned a little about the history of the building and gained an insight into how the National Theatre stages over twenty world class productions every year. We visited all three auditoria, each of which is designed to suit different styles and genres of theatre productions, and we were able to observe the workshop area where props and sets are constructed for each show.

After lunch we watched a matinee performance of Arthur Miller’s historical drama ‘The Crucible’, performed in the Olivier, the largest of the National Theatre’s three venues. Lyndsay Turner’s compelling production included extracts from Miller’s essays about the Salem witch trials, which helped to remind the audience that the characters are based on real people, whilst Es Devlin’s stark set design with real water cascading down onto the stage from a suspended water tank created a bleak and dramatic setting for the play.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip that will enrich our students’ understanding of how live theatre is created and hopefully inspire their own work as theatre makers.