Donmar Warehouse Announces North American Transfers For BLINDNESS and Local Community Projects At Home

Following its sell-out run at the Donmar the acclaimed sound installation Blindness will transfer to North American venues this Autumn with an international premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto on 17 November, and installations in November and December at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. and the off-Broadway Daryl Roth Theatre in New York. Final dates to be announced. Blindness will be one of the first events to be staged indoors in Canada and the USA since theatres closed due to the pandemic in March.

Blindness is based on the dystopian novel by Nobel-prize winning José Saramago, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Walter Meierjohann, with the voice of Juliet Stevenson as the narrator/doctor's wife. It opened in August at The Donmar Warehouse which was one of the first UK venues to reopen temporarily to the public with COVID-19 safety precautions in place.

As the lights change at a major crossroads in a city in the heart of Europe a car grinds to a halt. Its driver can drive no more. Suddenly, without warning or cause, he has gone blind. Within hours it is clear that this is a blindness like no other. This blindness is infectious. Within days an epidemic of blindness has spread through the city. The government tries to quarantine the contagion by herding the newly blind people into an empty asylum. But their attempts are futile. The city is in panic.

Visitors listen on headphones to this gripping story of an unimaginable global pandemic of infectious blindness - and its profoundly hopeful conclusion - featuring an immersive sound design using binaural technology by Ben and Max Ringham. Each venue will be reimagined by designer Lizzie Clachan and atmospheric lighting designed by Jessica Hung Han Yun, with the creative team working remotely to bring the installation to life from over three thousand miles away.

As in the Donmar's original installation enhanced safety measures will be used to ensure the health and safety of all visitors to Blindness. Visitors will be seated apart in accordance with local social distancing requirements, unless they attend with someone from their household or social bubble.

In the UK, whilst the theatre is currently closed, The Donmar Warehouse also announces today that it will continue its work with young people and the local community this autumn as part of the Donmar Local programme. Through Donmar Local, the Donmar works in its home boroughs of Camden and Westminster to produce work that celebrates the stories and voices of the community and share programmes which use theatre as a way to encourage discussion and debate. Projects happening this autumn include:

Young people have reimagined activism. They are pushing for political action and organising in ways we have never seen before. Change is on the horizon.

This year, anti-racism movements have swept the globe, toppling statues and rising up against icons of the past. As these international tides are shifting, Britain's own history has been thrown into the limelight: what really happened during the British Empire? And why do we still celebrate its leaders?

MONUMENTS is a Donmar Local project investigating the ways in which the British Empire still exists today. Led by director Sara Aniqah Malik, an ensemble of local young people of colour will work with writer Nessah Muthy, director of photography Femi Awojide and movement director Kane Husbands to produce a bold short film exploring the change they are looking for in the world.

MONUMENTS will be released online in January 2021 via the Donmar's social channels.

In April a group of young artists were assembled to work with the Donmar's Resident Assistant Directors to document the extraordinary experience of a nation in lockdown. The Ensemble produced a short film in June and have continued to engage with the Donmar through a masterclass series, currently working with playwright Simon Stephens, actor Juliet Stevenson and sound designers Ben and Max Ringham (the creative team for Blindness).

The Donmar Warehouse is proud to be partnering with Holborn Community Association (HCA) to collectively support the local community at a time of increased isolation. HCA are taking up residency at the Donmar's Clore Studio, with weekly creative programmes for early years through to elders.

For more information about Donmar Local visit www.donmarwarehouse.com/discover/donmar-local/

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/

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