The National’s subsidy, of course, is still far more generous than government support for theaters in the United States, and several British theaters received deeper cuts than the National. Mr. Hytner has chosen not to sound alarms about the budget cuts, given that other theaters have it worse, and the National wants to maintain good relations with the government. Instead, he disclosed that he planned to stay on as artistic director for a couple of years or so beyond the end of his contract, in 2013, partly to provide the National with continuity in an era when government support is less certain.

Mr. Hytner emphasized that he was not overly nervous about the budget because the unexpected success of “War Horse” had provided a new financial cushion to the National. But he said he did not want the National to fall into the habit — as is common among nonprofit and commercial theater producers in the United States — of trying to generate hit after hit on its three stages, where about 20 productions are now mounted each year.

“We have never — not once — produced a show because we think there might be a commercial future for it, literally never,” said Mr. Hytner, 55, sitting in his relatively unadorned office, where a sweeping view of the Thames River was the dominant visual. “And I would get incredibly uncomfortable about producing that way here. I think we’ve had artistic success here partly because the pressure for success is so low. By comparison, in New York, the pressure leading up to opening night — the life-or-deathness of it all — is just a bit much.

“What we’ve sought to do with our work is to be ambitious and very popular, not because we want to be commercial, but because those were the goals of theater that sprung from the south bank of this river 400 years ago,” he continued, referring to the era of Shakespeare and the original Globe Theater, which stood not far from the National’s complex. “I’ve always had an impresario’s interest in developing productions — whether new or old — that would be as interesting as possible to as many people as possible.”