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Rating for THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE

85/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

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85/100

Clarity score

Good

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London · SE1 9PX Reg 224223 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE is a registered UK charity (224223) working in children & youth in London · SE1 9PX. CharityCompare scores the organisation from public Charity Commission annual accounts — financial efficiency, transparency, and filing compliance — not programme outcomes.

In short: THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE scores 85 out of 100 (3 stars). 83% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE has a Clarity Score of 85 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 224223. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £56m, with 83% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 9 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

85/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

83%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£56m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

9 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£35.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 3% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-24

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 14 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 9 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

0% 38% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 83% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 3p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

0% 14 volunteers / 931 staff · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

85/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
83/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight14 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Reserves (months of cash)9 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets38% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio83% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency3p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio14 volunteers / 931 staff · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £56m
Total expenditure £52m
Charitable activities £47m 91%
Fundraising £1.5m 3%
Governance & admin £100k 0%
91%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £52m spent

  • Charitable activities91%
  • Fundraising3%
  • Governance0%
  • Other spending6%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    931 employees · 14 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 224223

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Elizabeth Pryce since 2015
  • SIR DAMON MARCUS BUFFINI Chair · since 2016
  • Tim Score since 2017
  • Louise Elizabeth Charlton since 2019
  • Dame Karen Elizabeth Pierce D.C.M.G since 2019
  • Simon Minty since 2020
  • Melanie Jane Richards CBE since 2021
  • Amanda Kate Pritchard since 2023
  • Dame Marit Mohn since 2024
  • James Matthew Graham since 2024
  • Cate Blanchett since 2024
  • Sarah Maria Wiggins since 2024
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £32200k £64400k £96600k £128800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £56,300k Spending 2021: £51,600k Cause spend 2021: £46,700k Income 2022: £80,800k Spending 2022: £80,100k Cause spend 2022: £51,900k Income 2023: £89,000k Spending 2023: £90,900k Cause spend 2023: £74,600k Income 2024: £121,400k Spending 2024: £125,400k Cause spend 2024: £106,400k Income 2025: £128,700k Spending 2025: £121,600k Cause spend 2025: £99,700k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
85/100 (3★)
Income
£56m
Cause spend
83% of expenditure
Reg number
224223
Scope
Local (london)
Reserves
9 months
Trustees
14
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's charity rating? +

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE scores 85 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 224223. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's registration number is 224223. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/224223

How much income does THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE receive? +

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE reported £56m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 83% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 3% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 3%.

Are THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE based? +

THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE is listed at London · SE1 9PX, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.