A Sense of Theatre is an eye-witness account of the birth and subsequent triumph of one of the world's most famous theatres: Britain's Naional Theatre. Since 1976, when the iconic building opened on London's South Bank, the National's extraordinary architecture and exemplary theatrical talent has attracted audiences from every corner of the world. The hundred-year dream of a theatre for the nation did not happen without crises and setbacks. The final architecture has challenged generations of theatre makers, leading to innovation that has changed theatre worldwide. The architect, Sir Denys Lasdun, initially a neophyte in theatre design, subsequently became an initiator of a new way of approaching the design of theatres through deep collaboration between architect and theatre practitioners. In 1963, Richard Pilbrow, pioneer of modern stage lighting in Britain, was appointed by Sir Laurence Olivier to help create the National Theatre of Great Britain. This is Pilbrow's account of that extraordinary journey from conception to today. It includes insights from leading players in British theatre and, for the first time, the minutes of the deliberations between Olivier, his Building Committee of the leading theatre artistsof the day, and lasdun. A Sense of Theatre presents the dramatic quest to create a flagship theatre for the nation.