The new season at the National Theatre has been announced!

Booking dates:
Supporting Cast: 20th August
Priority Members: 21st August
Advance Members: 25th August
General Public/Entry Pass: 2nd September

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The Habit Of Art by Alan Bennett at the Lyttleton Theatre
Thursday 5th November - Sunday 24th January
Press Night: Tuesday 17th November

Cast includes:
Frances De la Tour
Michael Gambon
John Heffernan
Alex Jennings
Adrian Scarborough

Director: Nicholas Hytner
Designer: Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer: Mark Henderson
Music: Matthew Scott
Sound Designer: Paul Groothuis

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Pains of Youth by Ferdinand Bruckner in a new version by Martin Crimp at the Cottesloe Theatre
Wednesday 21st October - Thursday 21st January

Cast includes:
Sian Clifford
Laura Elphinstone
Cara Horgan
Jonah Russell
Geoffrey Streatfeild
Lydia Wilson

Director: Katie Mitchell
Set Designer: Vicki Mortimer
Costume Designer: John Bright
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark
Music: Paul Clark
Sound Designer: Gareth Fry

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Dr Seuss's The Cat In The Hat at the Cottesloe Theatre
Friday 11th December - Monday 18th January

Director: Katie Mitchell
Set Designer: Vicki Mortimer
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark
Music: Paul Clark
Sound Designer: Gareth Fry

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John Lithgow: Stories by Heart at the Lyttelton Theatre
Uncle Fred Flits by PG Wodehouse and Haircut by Ring Lardner
Monday 19th October and Monday 26th October only.

Cast: John Lithgow
Director: Jack O'Brian

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Mixed Up North by Robin Soans at Wilton's Music Hall
Tuesday 10th November - Saturday 5th December

Cast includes:
Judith Amsenga
Lorna Stuart
Stephanie Street
Mia Soteriou
Claire Rafferty
Kathryn O'Reilly
Tyrone Lopez
Rose Leslie
Muzz Khan
Kashif Khan
Asif Khan
Lisa Kerr
Celia Imrie
Matthew Wait

Director: Max Stafford-Clark
Designer: Jonathan Fensom
Lighting Designer: Tim Bray
Sound Designer: Andy Smith

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Yawn Yawn Yawn two very exciting(not)plays by Katie Mitchell

While I'm slightly concerned by the implication that Katie Mitchell has possibly built a nest in the Cottesloe and is proving ridiculously difficult to remove, I have voted for Pains of Youth because Geoffrey Streatfeild is amazing. If I have to vote for just the plays, then Nation and Mother Courage and her Children. :3

Excited beyond words about two of my all-time favourite icons - Seuss and Mitchell - meeting up like this.

Habit Of Art is of course intriguing too, but the campaign starts here for the NT to have a reading at least during its run of the other play they commissioned about Britten and Pears - Paul Godfrey's Once In A While The Odd Thing Happens - a decade ago. Please folks, for context, you have to feature this!

Well, folks, I'm not really excited about any of them.

But am I right in saying that the NT has dispensed with booklets? I haven't received one. Apparently I can start booking tomorrow from 8.30am [ set the alarm..hmmm no] courtesy of the internet and my supporter's badge but I only learnt this from the WOS board and then I looked on the NT site to check. I swear the NT didn't tell me.

I like to pore over the booklet and scribble over the timetable until I have the right combination of dates and then I book them all together usually over the phone. So now I have to perfect my clicking.. ho hum.

'Spose the Alan Bennett will be interesting.

I voted for Lolita as I adore the novel, although am wary about how it will translate satisfyingly as a monologue. Habit of Art seems intriguing too, but otherwise, it's not an extremely 'wow' looking season for me....

No, there will be brochures but mine is not due to arrive until the 25th, the date on which I can book online, though I do get five days to prepare myself given that the schedule is visible online from tomorrow. It sounds as if you didn't get an email you were supposed to receive, Lynette.

I am very much looking forward to The Habit of Art - Bennett and Gambon are an intriguing combination. As the parent of two under-sixes I am attracted by The Cat in the Hat, though I can think of a number of people I'd rather were directing it. Not that I haven't loved some of Mitchell's work, but her recent stuff sounds as though she is imposing stuff on the play rather then letting it speak for itself.

Well I'll book tomorrow - oops today - and leave a few tix for you guest John...

Well, I've just booked for the Bennett play for a Sat in November and there isn't much left in the stalls. Very annoying way they display the dates, unlined up so you can't track all the Saturdays for example. Not good for someone whose eyes are all over the place on a screen like myself. Other sites do it better. Me, ole grumpy again this morning

I hear you honey!

I’ll go and see the Bennett because I always do but I’ll leave the rest. Will any cheap tickets be left on the 25th? I guess this will run and run aka History Boys

Is KM now trying to scare children off theatre after having successfully achieved it with adults for straight play and opera?!

I note two one person shows in the lyttelton? Has Hynter’s unsellable programming bankrupted the casting department?

Is KM now trying to scare children off theatre after having successfully achieved it with adults for straight play and opera?!

Do the NT hold back seats for non-priority members? I booked the Habit of Art yesterday afternoon and had difficulty finding any of the £10 stalls seats. In fact the front 15 rows of the stalls seemed 90% sold out for all dates.

I was a bit puzzled too. I didn't leave it v long on the first day for priority for me but most of the seats were taken for the Sat I wanted. There were some 10 pounders left- I bagged 4. I can only imagine that this play is very popular and that the very big punters, super priority have all been booking.

I'm under the impression that they do hold back some good seats for non-priority bookers. Otherwise I'm sure I NEVER would have got my fabulous second-row seat for Phedre tomorrow! It must be a very difficult balance, trying to please both the priority bookers and the plebs, and I imagine there's not a theatre in the land who has accomplished it yet. XD

My friend struggled to get priority seats for £10, everytime she was attempting to book a seat online it would suddenly disappear. I knew it would be popular but do wonder what will be left come the 2nd September.

Katie Mitchell does THE CAT IN THE HAT???!!! You couldn't make it up! On a par with asking the Marx brothers to direct the Ring Cycle....

Seb

Ooh I'd pay to see that!

... me too, actually. I'll pass on the Mitchell-helmed Cat though.

I am intrigued by the Mitchell - Cat in a Hat, wither links to media I think it might actually be a show where her style will work really well!

Is anyone else finding it impossible to log onto the Nationals website to buy tickets?

It's the usual disaster. I managed to book 2 tickets for the Bennett - I think - as the confirmation page was blank, and no email so far! Good job I asked for them to be sent out. Think I may have paid twice as well! The process needs plenty of patience .... good luck.

Thanks Polly1. I can't even log in the site just keeps erroring, it's so frustrating, i know the site will be under massive use this morning but half an hour in and I can't even log in and i'm kind of meant to be working now. Sigh, fear i'm going to end up paying big time if i want to see the Bennett play

well, this was irritatingly predictable.

I'm beginning to think perhaps I don't want to go and see anything after all since I still can't get in. I know memberships is as much about supporting the theatre as anything but for me at least it's as much about being able to get cheap tickets as otherwise I can't afford to go. Oh well.

After a wee bit of a struggle I did manage to get on the site.

I was looking forward to booking Cat in The Hat (some may think this mad) as an outing with my godson but with work commitments Saturdays are my only option. Blow me down - they are all sold out already! In the words of Victor Meldrew "I can't believe it!" At least I can aim for the Young Vic but it's still disappointing that the National's programming has limited the number of performances (three) for us non-mums who want to treat a special wee soul but can only do weekends - a few Sunday performances would have been much appreciated.

On the other had I did manage to get the days I wanted for the Bennett and Hare.

Finally got loggedi n at 11.10 and it all honesty in works in the Nationals favour as was so fed up by that point that there was no way i wasn't going to buy a ticket after trying for getting on for 3 hours so bought one for £30+ more than i wanted..........

I hope it's good!

The survey at the top of the thread needs an additional option "None of the above" for me.

For some reason I find myself completely immune to the Marx Brothers brand of humour. I have sat through several of their films (usually not lasting to the end, though!) stony faced without so much as cracking a smile. (Ditto Chaplin and Keaton). However I laugh like a drain at Laurel and hardy. Go figure....

Seb

Hmm opposite for me, love the Marx Bros but Stan & Ollie leave me cold as does Charlie Chaplin but I like Keaton. Oh well..

I just enjoy the incongruousness of putting the Marx brothers together with Wagner. I'll stick with Morecambe and Wise otherwise. *ahem*

Yes, it was impossible getting on at 8.30 for me and there are only pricey ones for The Habit of Art left so I'll wait till the next booking period to try again. Perhaps it's worth upgrading my membership to get five extra days advantage, though I've never needed that before; I've always got £10 cheapies for the Lyttelton in the end. Still it's all in a good cause I suppose (I still think the National's a good cause!) and with SRB returning next year (please, someone, make it so it's more than just a Dion Boucicault revival) there is all the more reason to get in quick.

Which play ?

As SRB is doing a revival of the old Ira Levin warhorse "Deathtrap" in the West End at the end of 2010 I assume his NT engagement will be short.

I remember reading somewhere on this site that he was doing London Assurance (with Fional Shaw and Michelle Terry?). Deathtrap isn't till the autumn, I believe, so there may be time for something else at the National.

I got the brochure and the first page (The Habit of Art) is the only thing I'll see. The rest of the thing is either direct political correctness (Hare) or making-up-the-numbers political correctness (women directors, ethnic directors and so on who get lots of subsidised work here but can't really cope in the real world). That's why they sent out all those cheap promotional offers over the summer. The place is clearly suffering.

I also note they're setting up a 'black theatre archive', which is a bit odd considering the BNP is about to be taken to court over directly privileging one ethnicity over another.

I used to love this place.

One notable thing is that during this booking period they are not staging a single play which was written before 1926 - I would bet that this is the first time ever in the history of the NT that they have had a repertoire composed entirely of 20th (and 21st) century plays. Personally, this is not to my taste.

oh my god.

Mmmhhhm

It's clearly suffering, yes - that's why so many shows are selling out, and so many people attempt to book online when booking opens that the site can't cope with it, and people complain they can't get the tickets they want.

I must admit I'm one of those people who deosn't pay a lot of attention to directors before booking to see something, so I can't comment on how many are *shock, horror!* non-white and non-male.

Are you really suggesting that Deborah Warner and Katie Mitchell do not deserve to be directing at the National? They are internationally renowned directors who have both done some amazing work over the past two decades. Marianne Elliott is another example of how successful Hytner's policy has been of gettng more women directors in. Melly Still has just had a major hit at Glyndebourne with Rusalka. I am astonished that anyone would refuse to see something on the grounds that it was directed by a woman.

Who are the 'ethnic directors', by which I assume you mean ethnic-minority directors , you are referring to? Nicholas Hytner? You think that Jews can't cut the mustard in the theatre world? Crikey.

Why describe David Hare as 'politically correct'? He is a socialist and was before the term political correctness was invented.

Well, I LOLed.

Of course it could be argued that a play by a gay left-wing author about two gay left-wing artists who in the view of some deserted their country in its hour of greatest need was the ne plus ultra of political correctness.

It is what some dismiss as political correctness and some of us prefer to call common human decency that gays like Bennett, Hytner, Deborah Warner and Mark Ravenhill don't have to hide their sexuality.

Sir David Hare, please.

well I’m still waiting for my brochure to turn up in time for last Tuesday’s booking. odd that lots of other post has turned up

the web site is a mess (to compliment the dull programming). took me 2 hours to get on and then only top price seat left. still i joined this great institute to support it not to great good dips on tickets … I know Nunn was critisicised for his often commercial programming and it often appeared to be a feeding ground for the West End. Now we have constant emails offering us strong discounts for lots of shows. I fear the new line up will bring us only more discount themed emails

Interesting how many people are complaining about the programming and also saying how hard it is to get tickets!

Is the Bennett sold out or is just not at general online booking stage yet?

Seb

Still a few days yet before general booking opens.

Phew! Should be an interesting evening. Britten was a fascinating and deeply conflicted person (as well as a genius composer)

Seb

Absurd, I agree.

I'm looking forward to my first visit to the National Theatre in October to see The Power of Yes.

I ordered my entry pass well over a month ago now and still no membership details!!! Very disapointed.

Got my tickets for HABIT OF ART and LOLITA. Actually got tkts for the Press night of the former then found that my companion couldn't go on that night. So now have 2 pairs of tkts. Can't make up my mind whether to go twice. Looking forward to it anyway.

Seb