The Olivier is named after the first director of the National Theatre and the outstanding British actor of the century. It is is the central theater of the Royal National Theatre cluster. Sited above the entrance foyer and over the workshops and main rehearsal rooms, it can accommodate 1160 people in its fan-shaped auditorium. Two main tiers of steeply raked seats sweep down to the stage. In spite of its size, the Olivier has a concentrated intimacy. No seat is far from the actor's point of command; and the span of the seats matches his effective span of vision. He can hold the audience within the compass of his eyes.