The Nuffield Theatre is a key UK venue for presenting and commissioning experimental theatre, contemporary dance and live art. The Nuffield stage is extremely large, and is adaptable to any form of seating configuration. With a width of up to 25 metres and a seating capacity of 250, it effectively combines scale and intimacy.

The Nuffield Theatre regularly commissions major new works from established companies, as well as providing a range of artist support, bursaries, residencies, summer schools and professional development projects. Rather than delivering traditional outreach work, The Nuffield Theatre also provides numerous opportunities for local residents to get involved in the creative process of innovative artists.

Current and recent Nuffield Theatre commissions and co-productions include The World in Pictures (Forced Entertainment); Punch Drunk and Broken Chords (Vincent Dance Theatre); Alice Bell and Daniel Hit By a Train (Lone Twin); OAP (Ursula Martinez); Dinner with America and Give What You Can, Take What You Need (Rajni Shah); Silence of the Soul and 5-2-10 (Walker Dance Park Music); Incarnate (Marie-Gabrielle Rotie); Hotel Methuselah (imitating the dog); A Pastoral (Uninvited Guests); Making the Difference (Small Change); Relative (Niki McCretton and Kathy Hinde); Years, Years (Deer Park); Song of Songs (Sonia Hughes); The Lastmaker (Goat Island).

The Nuffield Theatre currently curates a major national symposium series - Practice Reflected - exploring particular themes or important bodies of work. Events combine performative responses, new artworks, artists' letters and short films alongside more traditional papers and discussions. Recent Practice Reflected events have explored narrative in experimental performance, collaborative theatre practice, and the work of companies Lone Twin, Goat Island and Uninvited Guests.