Donmar Warehouse And Theatrical Production Company Wessex Grove Announce Partnership

The Donmar Warehouse and Wessex Grove announce today they are partnering in a multi-year development deal to support the creation of new stage projects and invest in their life at the Donmar and beyond.

Wessex Grove is a trans-Atlantic theatrical production company which was set up by Benjamin Lowy and Emily Vaughan-Barratt in 2020 to produce and general manage innovative and exciting work of the highest quality in the West End, on Broadway, and worldwide.

Before setting up Wessex Grove, Benjamin ran Benjamin Lowy Productions in New York for which he produced Betrayal and Seawall/A Life on Broadway in 2019, both of which were nominated for Tony Awards in 2020. Benjamin has also co-produced 18 other Broadway shows. Just before Broadway shutdown he was producing Michael Longhurst's production of Caroline or Change with Roundabout Theatre Company which has now been postponed to Autumn 2021. Benjamin was also a producing partner in London on many of the Jamie Lloyd Company shows with ATG, which is how he and Emily met. Those productions include; Cyrano de Bergerac, The Seagull, Betrayal and the Pinter at The Pinter season.

Emily worked as a Producer at Ambassador Theatre Group for eight years, most recently producing Cyrano de Bergerac and The Seagull at The Playhouse, Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre and then at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York, the Pinter at the Pinter season, and all the other Jamie Lloyd Company shows from its inception in 2013 including; Macbeth, The Hothouse, East is East, The Homecoming, Richard III, The Ruling Class, Doctor Faustus, The Maids and The Pride. She also has produced the transfers of Rob Icke's shows from the Almeida Theatre including; Oresteia, Hamlet and The Doctor. Other shows for ATG include: Pretty Woman, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, King Lear, The End of Longing, Buried Child and The Spoils. Before working at ATG, Emily worked at Fiery Angel, Chichester Festival Theatre, and The Print Room.

Since its inception last year, Wessex Grove has produced The New Tomorrow festival with the Young Vic (October 2020) and is in development for a wide range of plays and musicals.

Speaking about the partnership, Benjamin Lowy & Emily Vaughan-Barratt said:

"We couldn't be more pleased to announce this partnership between our new company Wessex Grove and The Donmar Warehouse. Wessex Grove was founded on the principle of being led by great artists, and we are excited to collaborate with brilliant Artistic Director Michael Longhurst and Executive Director Henny Finch. Now more than ever, Wessex Grove is committed to supporting innovative artists and their works and the Donmar has always been at the forefront of creating, developing, and showcasing the best of British theatre. We hope to be able to give many of these productions a future life, and enable their work to reach wider audiences both here in the UK and across the world. Wessex Grove is proud to support the Donmar in their mission to change society for the better through excellent entertainment."

Donmar Warehouse Executive Director Henny Finch and Artistic Director Michael Longhurst said:

"Emily and Ben's reputation as fine, creative and dynamic producers precedes them. We're thrilled to be working with Wessex Grove at this crucial time for our sector as we invest in the Donmar's post-Covid recovery and start to rebuild our programme. We can't wait to have their involvement with our new slate of new projects that exemplify the Donmar's mission of 'important stories, thrillingly told"

The Donmar Warehouse is a charity, and public funding makes up only 7% of its income. The generous support to-date from ticket-buyers, members, trusts, foundations and corporate partners has enabled it not only to deliver much-loved productions but also to work with thousands of young people and communities each year, to develop industry leading artists and to nurture the next generation of theatre audiences. For the Donmar, audience support is more crucial than ever as they look ahead to how they can sustain the organisation over the coming months. To support The Donmar Warehouse and donate during this difficult time, more information can be found at https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/support/