The National Theatre Company was newly formed and began performing at London’s Old Vic, making the Old Vic the company’s base while a purpose-built National Theatre was still only a plan. This moment set the conditions for an ambitious early repertory that included major Shakespeare productions and high-profile guest stars.
The company’s first performance was Hamlet, directed by Laurence Olivier and starring Peter O’Toole in the title role. Starting with a Shakespeare tragedy signaled that the new National Theatre would treat Shakespeare as a central part of its public mission, not just a specialist tradition.
The National Theatre mounted Othello directed by John Dexter, with Laurence Olivier as Othello, Frank Finlay as Iago, and Maggie Smith as Desdemona. The production became one of the signature Shakespeare efforts of the Olivier era and helped define the company’s early star-driven approach.
A film version of the National Theatre’s Othello was released, directed by Stuart Burge and based on the stage production. The film extended the reach of the Old Vic production beyond theatre audiences and preserved key performances from the early National Theatre repertory.
Franco Zeffirelli directed Much Ado About Nothing for the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic, with Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens as a star pairing. The production showed how Olivier’s National Theatre mixed Shakespeare with fresh directorial styles that aimed for broad public appeal.
Construction delays meant the new National Theatre building had not yet begun as expected, and Laurence Olivier agreed to stay on beyond his initial contract. This decision kept the company anchored at the Old Vic for longer than planned and extended the “early seasons” period the company is now known for.
Olivier played Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in Jonathan Miller’s National Theatre production, marking Olivier’s last major Shakespeare role. The production drew strong reactions and showed the company’s willingness to revisit Shakespeare’s difficult themes (including prejudice) in a modern public context.
The National Theatre returned to Shakespeare’s Roman tragedy Coriolanus at the Old Vic, with Anthony Hopkins playing Coriolanus in a production directed by Manfred Wekwerth and Joachim Tenschert. The production reflected the company’s growing ensemble strength as a new generation of leading actors took on major Shakespeare roles.
The National Theatre announced that Laurence Olivier would step down and that Peter Hall would become the next director. The change signaled a leadership transition just as the long-delayed move to the South Bank was coming closer, shifting the institution from founder-led identity to a new administrative era.
Miller’s Merchant of Venice was later recorded for television, helping circulate a National Theatre Shakespeare production to audiences who could not attend in person. Broadcast versions also made the early National Theatre Shakespeare work easier to study and compare with later interpretations.
Peter Hall directed a new Hamlet starring Albert Finney; it opened at the Old Vic late in 1975 and then moved into the Lyttelton Theatre in the new National Theatre building in March 1976. The production became a bridge between the Old Vic years and the South Bank future, linking the company’s founding Shakespeare title with its new home.
The Lyttelton Theatre opened as the first venue in the National Theatre’s new South Bank complex, inaugurating the company’s long-awaited move from the Old Vic. This opening marked a practical end point for the “early Shakespeare seasons” shaped under Olivier: a decade-plus period where Shakespeare helped establish the company’s identity while it still worked in a temporary home.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the National Theatre building on London’s South Bank. The ceremony reinforced the institution’s public status and capped the long construction story that had shaped Olivier’s extended Old Vic period and influenced how Shakespeare productions were planned and staged.
The National Theatre's early Shakespeare seasons under Laurence Olivier (1963–1976)