Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed Donmar Warehouse, Michael Grandage, today announced new details surrounding the new Donmar season through until February 2011 including. Casting has been announced for Polar Bears; David Leveaux has been pronounced director of Simon Gray's The Late Middle Class; von Kleist's The Prince of Homburg has been added to the season; new events in celebration of Sondheim's 80th birthday - in addition to the production of Passion - have been revealed; and Michael Grandage has been confirmed to direct Derek Jacobi in King Lear.
In addition to the above season of work, the Donmar will launch a new initiative at the Trafalgar Studios - Donmar Trafalgar. Demonstrating the Donmar's commitment to the next generation of young directors, the company will take up a residency at Trafalgar Studio 2 for twelve weeks a year for the next three years to showcase the work of graduates of the Donmar's Resident Assistant Director programme.
The Donmar also continues to expand outside its Covent Garden home. As well as a UK tour of Serenading Louie, the Donmar heads to New York - Michael Grandage's production of Red transfers to Broadway while Creditors directed by Alan Rickman opens at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. Piaf continues its run in Buenos Aires before transferring to Madrid.
Artistic director Michael Grandage said today "This new season of work demonstrates our ongoing commitment to deliver high quality productions both at home and abroad. Eight new productions, one tour and three transfers around the world will enable the Donmar's work to continue to reach out to more and more people than ever before. These are exciting times for the Donmar and I look forward to engaging with new and diverse audiences through our productions and our expanding education programme in the year ahead."
Season details are as follows:
DONMAR - COVENT GARDEN
World Première of Polar Bears
A new play by Mark Haddon
Cast: Richard Coyle, Paul Hilton, Celia Imrie, David Leon, Jodhi May, Skye Bennett, and Alice Sykes
Director: Jamie Lloyd; Designer: Soutra Gilmour
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark; Composers and Sound Designers: Ben & Max Ringham
1 April - 22 May, Opening Night 6 April
"And I promise. I will carry on loving you when the lights go out. I will."
John has never met anyone like Kay. When the moon is in the right phase, she is magnetic and amazingly alive. But when the darkness closes in, she is lost to another world, a world in which John does not belong.
One man's struggle to love, support and live with someone suffering from a psychological condition is beautifully captured with humour and pathos in this extraordinary new play by Mark Haddon.
Richard Coyle returns to the Donmar to play John. His previous work for the company includes After Miss Julie and Proof. His other theatre work includes The Lover & The Collection (Comedy Theatre), Look Back in Anger (Theatre Royal Bath), Don Carlos (Sheffield Crucible and Gielgud Theatre) and The York Realist (Royal Court and Strand Theatre). For television, his credits include Going Postal, Miami Trauma, Octavia, Whistleblowers, Cracker, The Best Man, Gunpowder Treason and Plot, Strange and Coupling; and for film, Georgia, The Prince of Persia, Franklyn, A Good Year, The Libertine, Happy Now, Topsy-Turvy and Jane Eyre.
Paul Hilton plays Sandy. He previously appeared at the Donmar in Michael Grandage's production of The Wild Duck. His other theatre credits include Riflemind, In Celebration (Duke of York's Theatre), Rosmersholm (Almeida Theatre), On the Third Day (New Ambassadors) and The President of an Empty Room, Mourning Becomes Electra, Three Sisters (National Theatre). His television work includes Laconia, Garrow's Law, Lydon; True, Dare, Kiss; The Relief of Belsen, The Family Man and The Princes in the Tower; and for film, Klimt.
