This month sees the launch of the first Paul Hamlyn Week at the National Theatre. The event, which aims to encourage novice theatre-goers and first-time visitors to the National, will take place from 13 to 18 April.

Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, nearly 20,000 tickets ranging in price from £1 to £5 will be made available over the whole week to newcomers. Audiences will be able to choose from four productions in repertory that week - the classic Peter Pan, starring Sir Ian McKellen; restoration comedy The London Cuckolds; Tennessee Williams' unearthed prison tale Not About Nightingales; and the big-top musical Oh What a Lovely War.

The week will also include the launch of Theatre Square, the National's new outdoor performance space. During the week, from 12:30PM to 5:30PM each day, street entertainers from the UK and Europe will perform in the Square.

The Thursday (16 April) of Paul Hamlyn Week will be Family Day at the National. From 10:00AM to 7:00PM, there will be a range of free activities and performances on offer, including more street entertainers, storytelling, music, face painting and clown shows, throughout the foyers and terraces and in Theatre Square.

Contact the National Box Office on +44-171-452-3000 for more information. --By Terri Paddock
What's On Stage, London