National Theatre in London to pilot earlier start times for evening shows

Theatregoers may be familiar with the guilty feeling of almost drifting off to sleep when watching an evening show after a long day at work.

Perhaps you arrived at the theatre at 7pm for a 7.30pm curtain up. But by the time the bows are done and the cast has disappeared into the wings, it’s often too late for a drink or catch up with friends or family. And if you live outside of the city, you might miss the last train home if you stay out any later.

The National Theatre on London’s South Bank factored this in when it made the decision to pilot earlier midweek start times for its productions, with shows beginning at 6.30pm – an hour earlier than the typical curtain time across the capital and its West End theatre district. The pilot will begin on Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 2024.

The decision was made after the institution surveyed more than 8,000 people across its audience from young to long-term theatre patrons.

According to the National, a significant proportion of respondents said their experience would have been improved by having more time for post-show socialising, whether a dinner with friends or discussing the show over a drink.

The theatre also found from its consumer research that visitors coming from outside London would prefer an earlier finish time, making commuting back home much easier.

Director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris said: “Audiences are always at the heart of everything we do, and in direct response to what they have told us, we are excited to be trialling an earlier start time of 6.30pm for selected performances.”

Alex Bayley, chief marketing officer at the theatre told The Guardian that the decision was made to improve theatregoers’ experience.

“This is about putting audience choice at the centre of our planning,” said Bayley. “We are always striving to make their experience the best it can be.”

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Post-lockdown working patterns and lifestyles were also factored into the decision. People now travel into the city for work on Tuesdays and Thursdays as remote working arrangements continue in many industries.

In a statement, the theatre said: “This trial follows a major piece of research undertaken by the National Theatre in recent months to understand more from audiences about their post-Covid lifestyles and habits, including varying working patterns and journey times, particularly for those living outside of London.”

It has not yet been revealed which plays will have earlier start times from February, but the theatre has already announced part of an impressive programme for the winter season.

Next year, Michael Sheen will play historic Labour figurehead Anuerin “Nye” Bevan in Nye, a new play by Tim Price about the birth of the National Health Service, while a new play from former writer-in-residence Beth Steel, Till the Stars Come Down, will also have its debut. Steel’s play follows an eccentric family on a wedding day, where vodka flows and passion takes over as the family struggles to come to terms with a changing world.

From 7 February, the National will show Dear Octopus, a revival of Dodie Smith’s play exploring the life of a splintering family and what the significance of returning home after growing up.

The National is not the first theatre to introduce earlier performance times. Weekday performances at Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre in London now start at 30 minutes earlier at 7pm, rather than 7.30pm. However, as it stands, the standard performance time across the capital is 7.30pm, with Matilda being one of the few exceptions.