OLIVIER THEATRE RESEARCH 

 
 
 

 
The Oliver Theatre is one of the three theatres in the National Theatre. It's
the largest theatre of the three and seats 1150 people. It was built in 1976.
The stage is very unique as it has a revolving drum.  
 
 
What the seating is like: 
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. 
The first three rows in the Front Stalls have no arm-rests, are slightly
narrower, and for some shows may offer a partially-restricted view. 
 
 
 

Oliver Theatre 
 
 
 
 

Seat plan of the Oliver Theatre 

 
The theatre has a very amphitheatre feel to it. 
 
 
 
Photo from the back row of the theatre 
 
In this theatre they have really tried to prioritise peoples sightlines and so
from most angles you get a really good view of the stage. This is important it
means that theatre becomes even more accessible as even when you are
paying for the cheapest seat, you're still going to have a good view of the
stage.  
 
 
Seatplan views from different areas of the theatre: