The National Theatre Studio re-opened in November 2007, following a 15-month redevelopment of its 1950s building in Waterloo. The project, by architects Haworth Tompkins, has doubled the Studio’s development capabilities which now boasts a second large workshop space; new facilities for dance and music theatre – including dressing rooms and showers, sprung floors and sound-proofing; and new facilities for writers. Infrastructure and technical equipment have been completely overhauled, and disabled access introduced.
Funded by generous contributions from a variety of organisations and individuals, the refurbished Studio now also serves as a permanent home for the NT Archive and a dedicated space for the Education department’s training and project work.
Bringing these two activities (both previously located in rented accommodation) together with the work of the Studio means that the National will be developing the artists and audiences of the future, and preserving a
record of the past, all under one roof.
Founded in 1984, the Studio is the National Theatre’s centre for research and development, playing a vital role in generating work for the National Theatre’s three stages. It is also a resource for a wide range of artists working throughout British theatre, providing an environment in which writers, actors and practitioners of all kinds can experiment and devise new work free from the pressure of public performance.
