President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, Visits Donmar Warehouse

On Tuesday 16 July the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, visited the Donmar Warehouse where he enjoyed an evening performance of The Night Alive, the latest play from Irish playwright Conor McPherson. After the production the President met the cast and crew of the production backstage before having his photo taken on the stage of one of London's leading producing theatres.

The Night Alive, starring Caoilfhionn Dunne, Brian Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Michael McElhatton and Jim Norton, made its world premiere at the Donmar on the 13 June and runs until the 27 July 2013. This was the second McPherson play to be performed at the Donmar this season, with his modern classic The Weir selling out its eight week run previously.

The Weir, directed by Artistic Director Josie Rourke, announced its West End transfer last Friday. It will preview from the 16 Januaryat Wyndham's Theatre with the full original Donmar cast, Risteárd Cooper, Brian Cox, Dervla Kirwan, Peter McDonald and Ardal O'Hanlon reprising their roles.

Conor McPherson (Playwright and Director of The Night Alive) most recently directed his latest play, The Night Alive, at the Donmar Warehouse. He was named by The New York Times as "the finest playwright of his generation". He won the George Devine Award in 1997 with his play St Nicholas. In 2006 he received a Tony Award nomination for Shining City and an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play for The Seafarer. In 2011 he wrote and directed The Veil for The National Theatre and in 2012 adapted Strindberg's The Dance of Death for the Donmar Trafalgar Season. Conor recently worked on the BBC series, Quirke.

Josie Rourke (Director of The Weir) became Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse in 2012. Since her appointment she has directed Berenice, The Physicists, The Recruiting Office and The Weir. She has recently opened The Machine, a new play by Matt Charman, as part of the Manchester International Festival, which will transfer to the Park Avenue Armory, New York later this year. Rourke trained at the Donmar, under Sam Mendes, through the theatre's annual Resident Assistant Director Scheme. Prior to the Donmar, she was Artistic Director at the Bush Theatre, London, from 2007 to 2011. Her 2010 production of Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart ran in the Lyttelton at The National Theatre. In 2011 her production of Much Ado About Nothing, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, ran in the West End at Wyndham's Theatre and received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Revival.

www.donmarwarehouse.com

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