British theatre company.
It was formed in 1962 as the National Theatre with Laurence Olivier as director (196373) and included many actors from the Old Vic company. In 1976 the company moved from London's Old Vic Theatre to a newly constructed three-theatre complex on the southern bank of the Thames. In 1988 Queen Elizabeth II gave the company permission to add "Royal" to its name. Partly subsidized by the state, the theatre presents a mixed classic and modern repertoire. Its directors have included Peter Hall (197388), Richard Eyre (198897), and Trevor Nunn (from 1997).