National Theatre (Olivier)

The Olivier Theatre is the largest of the three theatres at the National. It can accommodate 1,150 people in its fan-shaped auditorium, and 2,000 years of drama on its open stage. Two main tiers of steeply raked seats − flanked by side-banks on a higher level − sweep down to the stage. In spite of its size, the Olivier has a concentrated intimacy. No seat is far from an actor's point of command; and the span of the seats matches their effective span of vision. They can hold the audience within the compass of their eyes.