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Donmar Warehouse

Coordinates: 51°30′50.2″N 0°7′33.1″W / 51.513944°N 0.125861°W / 51.513944; -0.125861
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Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse in 2015
Map
AddressEarlham Street
London, WC2
United Kingdom
Public transitLondon Underground Covent Garden
TypeOff-West End,
Nonprofit organization
Capacity251 plus 20 standing places
Years active1977–present
Website
www.donmarwarehouse.com

The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977.

Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic director, a post held since March 2024 by Tim Sheader.[1] The theatre produces new writing, contemporary reappraisals of European classics, British and American drama and small-scale musical theatre.

As well as presenting at least six productions a year at its home in Covent Garden, as well transferring shows to the West End, Broadway and elsewhere.

History

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Theatrical producer Donald Albery formed Donmar Productions around 1953,[2] with the name derived from the first three letters of his name and the first three letters of his friend, ballerina Margot Fonteyn.[3] In 1961, he bought the warehouse, a building that in the 1870s had been a vat room and hops warehouse for the local brewery in Covent Garden, and in the 1920s had been used as a film studio and then the Covent Garden Market banana-ripening depot.[3] His son Ian Albery, a producer and theatre design consultant, converted the warehouse into a private rehearsal studio.[3]

In 1977, the Royal Shakespeare Company acquired it as a theatre and renamed it Warehouse, converting and equipping at "immense speed".[4] The first show, which opened on 18 July 1977, was Schweik in the Second World War, directed by Howard Davies, which transferred from the Other Place in Stratford. The electricity for the theatre was turned on just 30 minutes before curtain up, and the concrete steps up to the theatre were still wet.[4]

The Warehouse was an RSC workshop as much as a showcase and the seasons were remarkably innovative, including Trevor Nunn's acclaimed Stratford 1976 Macbeth, starring Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, which opened at the Covent Garden venue in September 1977 before transferring to the Young Vic. The RSC went on to stage numerous acclaimed productions, both original and transfers from The Other Place, Stratford. In 1980 nearly all the RSC company were involved in Nicholas Nickleby so a new two hander was found from the pile of submitted scripts. Educating Rita, with Julie Walters and Mark Kingston directed by Mike Ockrent, went on to be one of the RSC's biggest successes.

From 1983 to 1989 it came under the artistic directorship of Nica Burns.

In 1990, Roger Wingate was responsible for the acquisition of the Donmar Warehouse. He completely rebuilt and re-equipped it in the form it is known today. Prior to its reopening in 1992, Roger Wingate appointed Sam Mendes as the theatre's first Artistic Director. As a board member and theatrical producer, Roger Wingate remains closely involved with the Donmar to the present day.

Under Sam Mendes (1992–2002)

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The Donmar became an independent producing house in 1992 with Sam Mendes as artistic director. His opening production was Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. He followed this with a series of classic revivals.

Among Mendes' productions were John Kander and Fred Ebb's Cabaret, Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, Stephen Sondheim's Company, Alan Bennett's Habeas Corpus and his farewell duo of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night, which transferred to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Under Mendes, Matthew Warchus's production of Sam Shepard's True West, Katie Mitchell's of Beckett's Endgame, David Leveaux's of Sophocles's Elektra and Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing were all productions at Donmar. Mendes' successor Michael Grandage directed some of the key productions of the later part of Mendes' tenure, including Peter Nichols's Passion Play and Privates on Parade and Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

Under Michael Grandage (2002–2011)

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In 2002 Michael Grandage succeeded Sam Mendes as Artistic Director. Grandage appointed Douglas Hodge and Jamie Lloyd as Associate Directors; in 2007 Rob Ashford succeeded Hodge.

For its revivals of foreign plays, the company regularly commissioned new translations or versions, including Ibsen's The Wild Duck (David Eldridge), Racine's Phaedra (Frank McGuinness), Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Simon Nye) and Strindberg's Creditors (David Greig).

Its musical productions included Grand Hotel and the Stephen Sondheim works, Pacific Overtures, Merrily We Roll Along, Company, Into the Woods and the 1992 production of Assassins that opened Sam Mendes' tenure as Artistic Director.

Under the umbrella of Warehouse Productions, the theatre sometimes opened shows in the West End. Including 1999's Suddenly Last Summer and 2005's Guys and Dolls.

Many well-known actors have appeared at the theatre, including Nicole Kidman (The Blue Room), Gwyneth Paltrow (Proof), Ian McKellen (The Cut) and Ewan McGregor (Othello).[5]

With only 250 seats, the tickets for Othello starring McGregor were in such demand that Grandage feared it could become "a bad news story".[6] His response was to plan a one-year season at the 750-seat Wyndham's Theatre, four major new productions presented by Donmar West End. It commenced on 12 September 2008, with Kenneth Branagh in the title role of Chekhov's Ivanov, given in a new version by Tom Stoppard and directed by Grandage.[7] The West End season continued with Derek Jacobi in Twelfth Night, Judi Dench in Yukio Mishima's Madame de Sade and Jude Law in Hamlet, all directed by Grandage.

Following the Donmar West End season, the Donmar held three productions internationally: transfers of Red, Piaf and Creditors, to Broadway, Madrid and the Brooklyn Academy of Music respectively.[8][9] Furthermore, from 30 September through December, the Donmar had the first of three year resident spots at Trafalgar Studios 2, in order to showcase its past Resident Assistant Directors.[10]

In February 2011, the Donmar collaborated with the National Theatre Live programme to broadcast its production of King Lear, starring Derek Jacobi, to cinemas around the world. With over 350 screens in 20 countries, this single performance of King Lear was seen by more than 30,000 people.[11]

Under Josie Rourke (2012–2019)

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In January 2012, Josie Rourke became the third Artistic Director in the Donmar's history. The first production under her leadership was George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, which Rourke also directed. Her first season also included Robert Holman's 1987 play, Making Noise Quietly, directed by Peter Gill; Jack Thorne's new version of The Physicists by Swiss playwright Friedrich Duerrenmatt; Brian Friel's Philadelphia, Here I Come!, directed by Lyndsey Turner; and Rourke's own production of Jean Racine's Berenice, in a new translation by Alan Hollinghurst and Phyllida Lloyd's all female Julius Caesar, which later went on to play at the St. Ann's Warehouse, New York.

The Donmar built a temporary, in-the-round, 420-seat theatre next to King's Cross station. This theatre housed the all-female Shakespeare trilogy: The Tempest, Julius Caesar and Henry IV, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, from September to December 2016.[12][13]

Under Michael Longhurst (2019–2024)

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In June 2018, Michael Longhurst was named the fourth Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse. Longhurst's previous credits include Constellations at the Royal Court Theatre and Amadeus at the National Theatre.

Longhurst's first season at the Donmar started on 20 June 2019 with David Greig’s Europe, followed by the UK premiere of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Further planned productions include [Blank] by Alice Birch, the UK premiere of Mike Lew's Teenage Dick and the season closes with Caryl Churchill's Far Away.[14] He directed a revival of Constellations in the West End with four different casts. The theatre reopened in September 2021 and further productions included Henry V' with Kit Harington, Macbeth with David Tennant and Cush Jumbo and the musicals The Band's Visit and Next to Normal.

In June 2023, it was announced[15] that Tim Sheader, Artistic Director of the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, would take over as Artistic Director in March 2024.

Productions

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1990s

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2000s

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2010s

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2020s

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wiegand, Chris; editor, Chris Wiegand Stage (7 June 2023). "London's Donmar Warehouse appoints Tim Sheader as artistic director". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2024. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Donmar Productions Ltd", AusStage. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  3. ^ a b c "Donmar Warehouse", The Theatres Trust. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  4. ^ a b Beauman, Sally, The Royal Shakespeare Company, OUP (1982)
  5. ^ "Cast of Othello". Donmar Warehouse Theatre. Archived from the original (Site) on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  6. ^ Sarah Hemming, "West End Story", Financial Times, 6 September 2008
  7. ^ Thaxter, John, Ivanov, thestage.co.uk, published 18 September 2008
  8. ^ "BAM's 2010 Season to Feature Donmar's CREDITORS, Broadway's Alan Rickman Directs", BroadwayWorld.com, 19 October 2009. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  9. ^ "Donmar Warehouse | Donmar International". Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  10. ^ "Donmar Warehouse | Donmar Trafalgar". Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  11. ^ "National Theatre Live". Nationaltheatre.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  12. ^ Robert Dex (25 May 2016). "The Donmar to set up King's Cross theatre and round off all-female Bard trilogy | London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Donmar's Shakespeare Trilogy at King's Cross". LondonTheatre.co.uk. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Michael Longhurst first season announced". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  15. ^ Wiegand, Chris; editor, Chris Wiegand Stage (7 June 2023). "London's Donmar Warehouse appoints Tim Sheader as artistic director". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 June 2023. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ "Red by John Logan". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  17. ^ Michael Billington (8 December 2009). "Red – review". The Guardian.
  18. ^ "Serenading Louie by Lanford Wilson". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Polar Bears by Mark Haddon". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  20. ^ Michael Billington (6 April 2010). "Polar Bears – review". The Guardian.
  21. ^ "The Late Middle Classes by Simon Gray". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  22. ^ Michael Billington (1 June 2010). "The Late Middle Classes – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  23. ^ "The Prince of Homburg By Heinrich von Kleist, in a new version by Dennis Kelly". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  24. ^ "The Silence of the Sea Vercors, a version by Anthony Weigh". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  25. ^ "Trelawny of the Wells An Original Comedietta by Arthur Wing Pinero (1898) with some most respectful additions and ornamentation by Patrick Marber (2013)". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  26. ^ Shenton, Mark (21 November 2012). "Full Cast Announced for Trelawny of the Wells at London's Donmar Warehouse". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  27. ^ "The Weir by Conor McPherson". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  28. ^ Michael Billington (26 April 2013). "The Weir – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  29. ^ "The Night Alive A new play by Conor McPherson". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  30. ^ "The Same Deep Water As Me A new play by Nick Payne". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  31. ^ Michael Billington (7 August 2013). "The Same Deep Water As Me – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  32. ^ Masters, Tim (20 May 2013). "Tom Hiddleston cast as Coriolanus at Donmar Warehouse". BBC News.
  33. ^ "Versailles A new play by Peter Gill". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  34. ^ "Privacy A new play by James Graham". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  35. ^ "Fathers and Sons by Brian Friel, after the novel by Ivan Turgenev". Donmar Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
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51°30′50.2″N 0°7′33.1″W / 51.513944°N 0.125861°W / 51.513944; -0.125861