John Burrell (theatre director) then executive artistic director for CBS TV in New York, and was credited with revolutionizing design on television. His final post was as a drama professor at the University of Illinois." John Burrell (theatre director) John Percy Burrell (6 May 1910–28 September 1972) was an English theatre director. John Burrell was educated at Shrewsbury School in Shropshire, England and he led a successful theatre career afterwards. He was appointed as a co-director of the Old Vic Theatre in London, England, with Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson in 1948. He later moved to the USA and worked on Broadway, New York.
Royal National Theatre Company and lease the Old Vic theatre. The "National Theatre Company" opened on 22 October 1963 with "Hamlet". The current building was designed by architects Sir Denys Lasdun and Peter Softley and structural engineers Flint & Neill and contains three stages, which opened individually between 1976 and 1977. The construction work was carried out by Sir Robert McAlpine. The Company remained at the Old Vic until 1977, when construction of the Olivier was complete. The National Theatre building houses three separate theatres. Additionally, a temporary structure was added in April 2013 and closed in May 2016. Named after the theatre's