Judi Dench, Lesley Manville and Sadiq Khan celebrate 50 years of the National Theatre

Judi Dench, Lesley Manville and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joined National Theatre director Indhu Rubasingham to mark the opening of a public installation celebrating 50 years of the theatre’s South Bank building.

The group unveiled 50 Stories for 50 Years on 30 October, alongside National Theatre executive director Kate Varah and board chair Damon Buffini. Two apprentices, Ilan Bankes and Joe Hutchings, also attended. They were selected from more than 700 applicants for a new engineering apprenticeship named after the building’s architect, Denys Lasdun.

50 Stories for 50 Years is a free exhibition featuring physical, digital and audio elements. It brings together personal accounts from people who have worked at or supported the National Theatre, including Dench, Manville, Hugh Jackman, Lucian Msamati and David Oyelowo, alongside stories from writers, directors, staff, construction workers and audiences.

The contributions include Dench recalling an unexpected interruption to a moment of pre-show calm, Msamati describing a dressing-room water fight between casts, and Jackman remembering a student visit that inspired his ambition to perform at the National Theatre. Manville reflects on returning to the stage after a ten-year absence, while Rubasingham shares an account of being called upon to step into the action during her first National Theatre production.

The installation is located on the Queen’s Walk outside the National Theatre. Designed and fabricated by La Cuarta Piel, the wooden structure takes inspiration from the amphitheatre seating of the Olivier Theatre. Visitors can sit and listen to recordings of the stories, while audiences elsewhere can access them through the theatre’s free digital guide on Bloomberg Connects.

The anniversary programme also includes the launch of the Denys Lasdun apprenticeship, which will provide two young people with practical training in the engineering skills required to maintain and care for the building. The initiative forms part of the National Theatre Skills Centre’s work with Bank of America to develop routes into careers in the creative industries. The centre currently supports nearly 6,000 people across the UK each year.

Rubasingham said: “For 50 years, the National Theatre’s South Bank building has been a place where artists, audiences and communities have come together to share stories that help us understand ourselves and one another. It was created with the conviction that great theatre should belong to everyone, and that artistic excellence and public access go hand in hand. At a time when so much of modern life encourages us to retreat into our own worlds, the beautiful stories captured in our anniversary exhibition demonstrate why theatre remains one of the few places where we gather collectively, embrace complexity and experience something together.”

Varah added: “This milestone anniversary offers a moment of renewal, hope and celebration of the NT’s remarkable legacy, and a brilliant reminder of the cultural foundations that we as a nation have been given to build on. But caring for it means maintaining and modernising the spaces that make all of that possible. The National Theatre generates £241 million for the UK economy each year, with a third of that impact felt outside London. Continued investment in this iconic building will help ensure the National Theatre can keep creating opportunities for all, bringing people together and giving audiences joy for generations to come.”

Khan concluded: “The 50th anniversary of the National Theatre’s South Bank home is a celebration not just of an iconic institution but of everything that makes London’s cultural sector so special. For five decades the National Theatre has showcased British theatre at its very best, nurtured talent, and made a huge contribution to our city’s rich cultural heritage and global reputation. It’s fitting that this milestone is being marked by investing in the next generation through new apprenticeships. This new programme will help aspiring theatre makers, craftspeople and technicians develop the skills they need to keep London’s world-leading creative industries thriving for decades to come as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

The installation was co-curated by Financial Times theatre critic Sarah Hemming, author of The National Theatre Guide, and the National Theatre’s special projects producer Katurah Morrish.

Designed by Denys Lasdun, the Grade II listed building was constructed between 1969 and 1976. The National Theatre company had been based at the Old Vic for its first 13 years before moving into the purpose-built South Bank venue. The building houses three auditoriums, the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres, alongside rehearsal rooms, production facilities and workshops.