Re: Baldwin
Tue 18 June, Olivier
Bonnie Greer and Daniel Matlin discuss the work of the novelist, essayist, playwright and poet James Baldwin, his involvement in the Civil Rights movement, and his role in African-American culture and identity.

Simon Godwin on Strange Interlude
Mon 24 June, 5.30pm, Lyttelton
The director talks about his production of O’Neill’s play.

In Conversation with...Adrian Lester
Mon 24 June, Olivier, 3pm (1hr) £5
The regular series of interviews with members of the NT company, chaired by Al Senter.

Suffragettes on Stage
Tue 25 June, 2.30pm (90mins) Lyttelton, £6
The Actresses’ Franchise League was founded in 1908 as ‘a bond of union between all women in the Theatrical profession who are in sympathy with the Woman’s Franchise Movement’. With discussion, and extracts from Edwardian Suffrage plays, this is a chance to learn about the role of theatre in the fight for Votes for Women. Guests include Samantha Bond, Janie Dee, Maggie Gale and Naomi Paxton.

Re: O’Neill
Thu 4 July, 5.30pm, Lyttelton
Christopher Bigsby looks at Eugene O’Neill’s influences and his legacy, and how his play, Strange Interlude, fits in to the canon of 20th-century American drama.

In Conversation with...Anne-Marie Duff
Thu 4 July, Lyttelton, 3pm (1hr) £5
The regular series of interviews with members of the NT company, chaired by Al Senter.

Othello on Screen
Fri 5 July, 5.45pm, Olivier
Daniel Rosenthal uses film clips to explore screen Othellos, from Olivier with the original text, to the Moor reinvented as US high-school basketball star.

Connections Writers’ Forum
Mon 8 July, Lyttelton
Acclaimed playwrights Howard Brenton, Jim Cartwright, Lucinda Coxon, Ryan Craig, Stacey Gregg, Jonathan Harvey, Lenny Henry, Jemma Kennedy, Morna Pearson and Anya Reiss discuss their new plays for young actors.

Re: Othello
Tue 23 July, 5.45pm, Olivier
Laurie Maguire examines the textual history of the play, its women’s roles, and how critics and directors have responded to its explorations of racial prejudice and sexual jealousy.

In Conversation with...Sharon D Clarke and Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Fri 26 July, Olivier, 3pm (1hr) £5
The regular series of interviews with members of the NT company, chaired by Al Senter.

In Conversation with...Rory Kinnear and Lyndsey Marshal
Thu 1 Aug, Olivier, 3pm (1hr) £5
The regular series of interviews with members of the NT company, chaired by Al Senter.

Richard Eyre and Tanya Ronder on Liola
Wed 4 September, Lyttelton
The director and playwright discuss this new version of Pirandello’s play.

Michael Frayn
Mon 9 September, Lyttelton
The playwright, whose work includes Noises Off and Copenhagen, talks to John Miller on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Complicite at 30 with Simon McBurney and Judith Dimant
Tue 10 September, 5.45pm
The artistic director and producer look back on 30 years of the company’s ground-breaking work, including The Master and Margarita and A Disappearing Number.

Joe Hill-Gibbins on Edward II
Mon 16 September, Olivier
The director talks about his production of Marlowe’s play.

Private Eye – A Cartoon History with Ian Hislop and Nick Newman
Mon 23 September, 5.45pm, Olivier
Editor Ian Hislop and cartoonist and writer Nick Newman discuss a new collection of some of the funniest and most influential examples of the 30,000 Private Eye cartoons published in the last 50 years – from royalty and politics to yobs and giant hedgehogs.

In Context: Liola Fri 11 October
2 – 5pm, John Lyon Education Studio, £15
An in-depth introduction to Pirandello and the world of the play.

Samuel Adamson and Tori Amos on The Light Princess
Fri 18 October, Lyttelton
Tori Amos is joined by playwright Samuel Adamson to reflect on this new musical.

Carl Miller and Bijan Sheibani on Emil and the Detectives
Fri 6 December, 5.30pm, Olivier
The writer and director talk about this new version of Erich Kästner’s story.

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WALK IN THE LIGHT
A week of events, led by actor Giles Terera, honouring the rich contribution that black artists have made to British theatre over the past 50 years. In the afternoon ‘In Conversation’ events, actors recall their favourite memories that form part of this extraordinary story. In the evening ‘In Discussion’ events, theatre-makers talk about their experiences of the period. On Sunday, the series culminates in a celebration in words and music.

In the Wings... 1960 – 1980
Mon 15 July, Olivier, £4
3pm Mona Hammond and Jeffery Kissoon, chaired by Giles Terera
5.45pm Yvonne Brewster, Oscar James and Mustapha Matura, chaired by Michael Billington

Onto the Stage... 1980 – 2000
Thu 18 July, Olivier, £4
3pm David Harewood and Gary Wilmot
6pm Bonnie Greer, Hugh Quarshie and Paulette Randall

Into the Spotlight... 2000 – 2013
Fri 19 July, Olivier, £4
3pm Nikki Amuka-Bird and Clive Rowe, chaired by Adjoa Andoh
6pm Nicholas Hytner, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Tanya Moodie, chaired by Genista McIntosh

Centre Stage... a Celebration
Sun 21 July, 1pm (90 mins), Lyttelton, £10
Guests include Sharon D Clarke, Lenny Henry, Cush Jumbo, Cyril Nri and Clive Rowe.

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50th ANNIVERSARY PLATFORMS..............

Scene Changes
The Shed. Tickets £4 1.05 pm (50 mins)
A series of lunchtime discussions looking at some of the developments and changes in theatre, both off and on stage, over the past 50 years.
1 October Theatre Architecture: new builds and modern refurbs.
2 October Theatre Sound: from noises off to soundscapes.
4 October Theatre Administration: marketing, ticketing, fundraising & access.
7 October Theatre Design: from stage flats to video walls.
8 October Theatre Lighting: illuminating technological developments.
11 October Theatre and Gender: steps towards greater parity.
14 October Theatre Venues: site specific, found spaces & outdoors.
15 October Theatre and Education: from TIE to lifelong learning.
18 October Theatre Criticism: from broadsheet to blog.
21 October Theatre Music: from background music to composition.

National Histories
The Shed, Lyttelton & Olivier Theatres. Tickets £4 6pm (45 mins) on October 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25 Ten simple questions, 50 years’ worth of possible answers. We ask key NT figures – actors, writers, directors – the who, what, when, where and why of their recollections of the National. Each event features two guests: check the website to see who’s taking part nearer the time.

Future Questions
Lyttelton Theatre. Tickets £4 (1hr)
Three panel discussions asking questions about the future of theatre.

Writing 30 October 5.45pm Will theatre continue to inspire writers to produce work for the stage in an increasingly digital age? Will the plays now on our stages be performed in 50 years time? What tone will be set by the next generation of writers?

Funding 4 November 5.45pm
Will public funding for the theatre become a thing of the past? Will an increased reliance on philanthropy have an effect on the work?

Regional Theatre 5 November 5.45pm
What is the future for regional theatre in the UK? How will regional theatres have to work to ensure their survival?