The National Theatre creates world-class, inspiring theatre for everyone, and brings it into classrooms through the National Theatre Collection.

Free for all UK state-funded schools and FE colleges, and available by subscription to independent schools in the UK and worldwide, the Collection offers access to outstanding UK productions, from Shakespeare to literary adaptations and classic comedies, all performed by some of the most celebrated theatre-makers.

Each play is supported by high-quality teaching resources to deepen students’ understanding of themes, performance, and technique.

With over 1.3 million pupils using it annually, our goal is simple: every child in the UK should experience the magic of National Theatre before leaving school.

Introduction for Secondary School Drama teachers

Introduction for Secondary School English teachers

If you have any feedback or questions about the NT Collection, please reach out to: ntcollection@nationaltheatre.org.uk

The National Theatre Collection offers a wide-ranging selection of productions designed to support teaching and learning right across the curriculum.

• For English students, the collection brings set texts to life, offering dynamic, modern stagings of Shakespeare and vivid literary adaptations that help deepen understanding of character, theme, and narrative.
• For drama and theatre studies, students can explore a rich variety of styles and genres — from Greek tragedy to cutting-edge contemporary work. It’s also a chance to study the craft of celebrated theatre-makers and practitioners featured in recent National Theatre productions.
• For technical theatre and production arts, the Collection showcases exceptional examples of set, costume, sound, lighting, and multimedia design. Students can even explore how the Lyttelton Theatre was transformed into a film studio during the pandemic.

For age guidance, subject links, and ideas on how to use each production in your teaching, simply visit the individual show pages.

More Information

Learning resources

The National Theatre Collection includes an expanding bank of learning resources, which can be accessed here. These include:

• Learning Packs for most productions: all the information you need to enable you to study the production and write about it in detail. These include plot synopses with timecodes, notes about the key elements from performance style to design, pointers for further research, and much more.
• Rehearsal Insights: rehearsal room diaries and notes prepared by the Staff Director, where available. These introduce the process of creating, rehearsing and staging each play.
• Key Stage 3 Packs: study guides for a select number of productions, tailored to teachers and students studying drama at Key Stage 3.
• Primary Packs and Cross-Curricular Learning Guides: available for most Primary titles, these packs illustrate how primary school teachers can use our productions to support teaching across curriculum subjects such as English, History, Geography and PSHE.
• Lesson Plans: individual activities and learning tasks for some productions.

If you have any questions or feedback on our resources, please get in touch: ntcollection@nationaltheatre.org.uk

For more teaching resources, please visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learn-explore/schools/teacher-resources/

About the National Theatre

At the National Theatre, we make world class theatre that is entertaining, challenging and inspiring – and we make it for everyone.

We stage up to 20 productions at our three theatres in London each year, ranging from reimagined classics to modern masterpieces and new work by contemporary writers and theatre-makers. The work we make strives to be as inclusive, diverse and accessible as possible, playing in London, on tour across the UK, on Broadway, and around the world. The National Theatre reaches 7 million people worldwide each year through live, broadcast and digital programmes including NT Live, which broadcasts some of the best of British theatre to over 2,500 venues in 65 countries.

Our extensive UK-wide learning and participation activity supports young people and schools, through theatre-making and craft programmes, and touring directly into schools. We invest at scale in new work and talent development, working with 1,500 artists each year, and partnering with a range of UK and international theatre companies.

Lead philanthropic support from Richard and Kara Gnodde. NT Collection is made possible in primary schools by the Hearn Foundation, as the Principal Funder of the Primary Schools Programme. NT Collection is also supported by The Attwood Education Foundation, Mike Staunton, and The Michael Marks Charitable Trust.

National Theatre Collection in New York City is supported by Penny and Bill Bardel.

(photo credit: Philip Vile)