National Theatre Annual ReportAnnual 2012–2013 Annual Report 2012–2013 Annual Report ‘…the National Theatre must… bulk large in the social and For the 52 weeks ended 31 March 2013 intellectual life of London… It must not even have the air of appealing to a specially literary and cultured class. It must be visibly and unmistakably a popular institution, making a large appeal to the whole community. 2 Board and Advisers 5 Purpose, Vision and Objectives ‘It will be seen that the Theatre we propose would be a 6 John Makinson, Chairman National Theatre in this sense, that it would be from the first 9 Nicholas Hytner, Director conditionally – and, in the event of success, would become 10 The Year in Review absolutely – the property of the nation.’ 12 Plays and Artists 17 National Theatre Productions Preface (1904) to A National Theatre: Scheme and Estimates by William Archer and Harley Granville Barker, London 1907 21 Awards 22 Audiences 27 Digital ‘We have never produced something to be a commercial 31 Learning success. One Man, Two Guvnors was a purely pragmatic 34 Public Engagement response to a summer of grim and serious plays. We had 38 National Theatre Future nothing that reached out to let the widest audience rejoice 40 NT Studio and celebrate… The backbone of our theatre is that it’s 42 Leadership un-hung up about juxtaposing the vulgar with the serious. 44 Sustainability We will do the vulgar, we will also do Timon and Othello, 51 Fundraising Brenton and Shaw and O’Neill, plays about medicine, 52 Supporters Seventies politics, mental difference.’ 62 Performers 64 NT Associates, Committee Membership and Nicholas Hytner, The Times, March 2013 NT Heads of Department 65 Photograph captions In this document, The Royal National Theatre is referred to as If you would like to receive it in large print, “the NT”, “the National”, and “the National Theatre”. or you are visually impaired and would like a The full Financial Review and Financial Statements (and this member of staff to talk through the publica- Annual Report) are available to download at www.nationalthea- tre.org.uk/annualreport The Trustees’ Report comprises those tion with you, please contact the items on pages 2-5 and 10-65 of the Annual Report and pages Board Secretary at the National Theatre. 1-16 of the Financial Statements. National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 3 Board and Advisers Board Members Executive Chairman John Makinson Director* Peter Bennett-Jones Nicholas Hytner Dame Ursula Brennan DCB Executive Director Dominic Casserley Nick Starr CBE Susan Chinn CBE Chief Operating Officer Lisa Burger Tim Clark Deputy Executive Director Howard Davies Kate Horton Lloyd Dorfman CBE Glenn Earle Associate Directors Aminatta Forna Sebastian Born Farah Ramzan Golant CBE Howard Davies Ros Haigh Marianne Elliott Neil MacGregor Rufus Norris Kate Mosse OBE Ben Power James Purnell Bijan Sheibani Tessa Ross CBE Bankers Clive Sherling Coutts & Co 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS Auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 7 More London Riverside London SE1 2RT *The term “Director” is a traditional title used at the National. Neither the Director, the Associate Directors, nor other members of the Executive are directors under the Companies Act, 2006 2 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 3 The National Theatre of Great Britain Our Purpose Our Objectives The National Theatre is dedicated to the — The Artistic Programme and Artistic constant revitalisation of the great traditions Development. The NT presents a balanced of the British stage and to expanding the artistic programme, staging around 20 horizons of audiences and artists alike. In its productions a year from the whole of world three theatres on the South Bank in London, drama, with a specific responsibility for the it presents an eclectic mix of new plays and creation of new work and representing the classics from the world repertoire with seven or widest range of voices eight productions in repertory at any one time. — Audiences. The NT is tireless in trying to The National Theatre aspires to reflect in its reach more people, broaden our audiences repertoire the diversity of the nation’s culture. and give them an unparalleled experience With a commitment to openness, wide-reaching — Learning & Engagement. The NT aims to be engagement and access for everyone, the National an inspirational, internationally recognised shares its resources, energy and creativity with resource for lifelong learning about and audiences and theatre-makers around the globe; through theatre using its Studio for research and development of new work, offering extensive learning and — Broadcast. The NT broadcasts a selection public engagement programmes, touring and of its repertoire to cinemas in the UK and broadcasting in the UK and internationally, internationally and creating innovative digital content. — Leadership. As a national theatre, the NT takes responsibility for fostering the health of the wider British theatre Our Vision — Sustainability. The NT operates in a The National Theatre strives to be a national financially and environmentally responsible centre of theatrical arts, central to the creative life manner, whilst striving to increase of the country and unmatched in the world for self-generated income scale, range of repertoire and audience reach. It aspires to produce to the highest standards — Innovation. The NT actively considers the by attracting the best artists and staff and by way in which it operates, and strives to providing an environment which stimulates innovate in all areas of its activity. them to realise the fullest extent of their talents. Education and public engagement are founding principles for the NT and are central to our vision of the future. 4 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 5 John Makinson ‘Above a fluorescent square, stars – Chairman about which the hero knows – blaze; on the ground, the apparently random numbers that help him to make a path through his panic are scattered in a radiant maze.’ Statistics cannot tell the whole story of the theatre directors in the land and performed The National Theatre opened Susannah Clapp, The Observer present range and success of the National Theatre by our greatest stage actors. The Shed, our its doors on 22 October 1963 but they are not a bad place to start. In the temporary replacement for the Cottesloe with a production of Hamlet. 12 months on which we are reporting in this Theatre, is opening the NT to new talents and Laurence Olivier directed, Peter document, NT productions played to a global audiences through an innovative approach audience of 3.6million people, an achievement to programming and marketing. The Studio, O’Toole played the Dane and unmatched by any theatre company in the world, tucked away in an anonymous building a few Michael Gambon carried a spear. and accounted for more than a third of all play- hundred yards from the NT, is the most active This year we shall be celebrating going in London. Full houses on the South Bank and successful theatre laboratory in the world. and commercial transfers of some of our most The finances of the NT are in sound shape the 50th birthday of our beloved popular productions helped the NT’s income to thanks to the success of War Horse, a £87m, a record figure achieved despite a further NT and reflecting, inevitably, production that began life in the Studio, 4.4 per cent reduction in our Arts Council grant. on how the place has grown and and our other commercial transfers. The developed over those years. What these impressive figures cannot describe of building itself, not the most inviting of course is the energy, creativity and commercial structures, is being transformed by our nous that lie behind them. The NT has been £80m NT Future programme. Construction led for a decade now by an extraordinary troika activity is now underway and audiences will comprising Nicholas Hytner, our Director, Nick soon be rewarded with a more welcoming, Starr, our Executive Director, and Lisa Burger, versatile and expansive National Theatre. our Chief Operating Officer. The admiration For all its success, the NT retains an encouraging and respect that the NT enjoys among its roster restlessness. It is constantly re-examining its of creative artists, as well as with audiences and public purpose, redefining the boundaries donors, are attributable in no small measure of its activity through the NT Live cinema to the talents of those three individuals. initiative, strengthening its links with regional Both Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr have and smaller theatres around the UK, using NT announced that they will be moving on from Future funds to enhance its role in education, the NT within the next two years. To say that carrying the argument for public support of they will be a hard act to follow is of course the arts to the media and to government. And a bit of an understatement. Yet, as the Board much else besides. If Laurence Olivier could undertakes a search for a new Director, we are have looked ahead 50 years from his seat in in no doubt that Nick Hytner’s successor will the stalls of the Old Vic, he would I hope have be building on the strongest of foundations. found today’s NT a hit, a very palpable hit. The NT’s creative output has never been richer or more varied. The Olivier and Lyttelton stages play host every evening to a breathtaking range of repertoire staged by the finest 6 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 National Theatre Annual Report 2012–2013 7 Nicholas Hytner Director Ten years ago, when I became Our conversations with government develop a policy that genuinely recognises the were productive, and many of the wilder return on systematic investment in the arts.