The Royal National Theatre
Analysis
The Royal National Theatre is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00749504). It says it other charitable activities.
In the financial year ending March 2025, The Royal National Theatre reported income of £128.7m and spending of £121.6m, spending 94% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £56.3m to £128.7m (+129%), an average of +23% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.
Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Royal National Theatre sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Museum of London (£128.5m), The Royal Horticultural Society (£133.7m) and The British Film Institute (£128.1m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 46%, donations and legacies 35%, trading 18% and investments 1.1%. Charitable activities took 82% of spending and raising funds 3.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1.5m. Reserves of £88.9m would cover about 9 months of spending at that rate. It employed 931 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 35%
- Charitable activities 46%
- Trading 18%
- Investments 1.1%
In the charity's own words
The National Theatre is central to the creative life of the UK. In its three theatres on the South Bank in London it presents new plays and classics from the world repertoire. It extends its reach through live broadcasts into cinema, UK and International tours and deepens audience engagement through its education programme. It looks after the wider health of theatre through R&D at the NT Studio.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of London | London | £128.5m |
| The Royal Horticultural Society | London | £133.7m |
| The British Film Institute | London | £128.1m |
| Historic Royal Palaces | East Molesey | £138.6m |