National Theatre Celebrates Dorfman Donation

In a week when the arts were hit by news of devastating cuts to their funding, Lloyd Dorfman CBE, Founder and Chairman of Travelex and a member of the National Theatre Board, pledged a personal philanthropic gift of £10 million to the National’s NT Future redevelopment project.  The donation will form the cornerstone of the £70 million fundraising campaign and in recognition, the Cottesloe Theatre will be renamed the Dorfman Theatre when the redevelopment programme is completed.
The aim of NT Future is to enable the National Theatre to rise to the challenge of the next 50 years.  The plan is to open Denys Lasdun’s building up – to audiences, passers-by and the local community – and to contribute to the regeneration of the South Bank; to transform the National’s facilities for education and participation;  and to keep ahead of new technologies and meet the changing needs of theatre artists and audiences. 
The partnership between Travelex and the National Theatre began in 2003 and was renewed for a further three years from 2010; the millionth Travelex £10 Ticket was sold last year.  
Lloyd Dorfman said: “I am a huge fan of the energy and innovation the National has achieved in recent years and am delighted to lead from the front in supporting its NT Future redevelopment.  I have been privileged to play a leading role at the National Theatre over the past eight years, in particular with the pioneering Travelex £10 Tickets season which has made world class drama more affordable and accessible for increasingly large audiences. Last year the National was responsible for 30% of the play-going across London theatre as a whole;  following the introduction of Sunday performances and National Theatre Live, NT Future is the next step in the National’s constant aim of welcoming new audiences and bringing them closer to the theatre – both the work on stage and behind the scenes. Individual and corporate support is vital to building on London’s leadership in the arts and I hope others will join me in wanting to build on the National’s role at the heart of modern theatre and sustaining it long into the future.”
Hayden Phillips, Chairman of the National Theatre, commented: “Lloyd Dorfman’s commitment to the National, in both a professional and personal capacity, has already been outstanding; and I was delighted to invite him to join the NT Board, and put at our disposal his entrepreneurial skills and experience.  His supremely generous gift – the largest donation ever made to the NT – will further the National’s determination and ability to thrive in the coming years. I hope it will also act as a spur and inspiration to other philanthropists, as a powerful demonstration of faith in the performing arts.’”