Donmar Announces 2010 Plans Including Sondheim Celebrations
By: Carrie Dunn Feb. 19, 2010
The Donmar's Artistic Director Michael Grandage has announced the new Donmar season through until February 2011, including full casting for Mark Haddon's Polar Bears, The Late Middle Classes, The Prince Of Homburg, Elena Roger in Passion, and 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.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."
Polar Bears
A new play by Mark Haddon
Also: Skye Bennett, Alice SykesDirector: Jamie Lloyd; Designer: Soutra Gilmour
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark; Composers and Sound Designers: Ben & Max Ringham1 April - 22 May"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.
The Late Middle Classes
By Simon Gray
Composer: Corin Buckeridge; Sound Designer: Simon Baker
Simon Gray's funny, melancholic and captivating play about a young boy trapped between two types of oppressive love reveals the frustration, secrets and guilt of middle class respectability in 1950s England.
Heinrich von Kleist's
The Prince of Homburg
In a new version by Dennis Kelly
Composer: Dominic Haslam; Sound Designer: Christopher Shutt22 July - 4 September"The highest rule is that which beats in the heart."Heroic commander of the Prussian cavalry, the Prince of Homburg dreams of victory, glory and fame. But his reckless disobedience during a crucial military operation leads the Prince to his greatest battle yet.
The creative team behind the Donmar's critically acclaimed production of Life is a Dream present Heinrich von Kleist's poetic masterpiece The Prince of Homburg which is considered to be one of the most haunting and beautiful plays of the nineteenth century, exploring honour, courage, ambition and love.
SONDHEIM AT 80
Passion
Music & Lyrics by: Stephen Sondheim
Book by: James Lapine
Musical Director: Alan Williams; Sound Designer: Nick Lidster & Terry Jardine for Autograph; Choreographer: Scott Ambler10 September - 27 November"In war you know the enemy. Not always so in life."
Captain Giorgio Bachetti, a military hero, is transferred to a strange and remote Italian outpost. Far away from his beloved Clara, he encounters Fosca, the cousin of his commanding officer, and her influence has shattering and inconceivable consequences.
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's multi-award-winning musical examines the power of love in a haunting story of desire, sacrifice and redemption.
Donmar Associate Director Jamie Lloyd is reunited with Elena Roger - following their work together on the Donmar production of Piaf.Elena Roger plays Fosca. As well as Piaf (also Vaudeville Theatre, Buenos Aires) and Evita, her other theatre work in the UK includes Boeing, Boeing (Comedy Theatre). In her native Buenos Aires, Elena Roger's credits include the original productions of Nine, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables and Saturday Night Fever. In 2003 Elena Roger and director Valeria Ambrosio devised Mina, che cosa sei. This musical, based on the life of the Italian singer, won five awards including the ACE (Critics' Award) for Best Actress for Elena Roger.
Thursday 16 September at 6pmSONDHEIM AT THE DONMAR
Michael Grandage and Sam Mendes in conversation about staging Sondheim at the Donmar
Monday 11 October at 6pm
Stephen Sondheim IN DISCUSSION
Stephen Sondheim in conversation about his life and career
Sunday 31 October at 7.30pm
COMPANY
A concert performance of Sondheim's musical written in 1970
Sunday 7 November at 7.30pm
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
A concert performance of Sondheim's musical written in 1981
King Lear
By William Shakespeare
Lighting Designer: Neil Austin; Composer and Sound Designer: Adam Cork3 December 2010 - 5 February 2011"Who is it that can tell me who I am?"An ageing monarch. A kingdom divided. A child's love rejected. As Lear's world descends into chaos, all that he once believed is brought into question.One of the greatest works in western literature, King Lear explores the very nature of human existence: love and duty, power and loss, good and evil.Derek Jacobi and Michael Grandage renew their collaboration, having previously worked together on The Tempest, Don Carlos and Twelfth Night.
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