TUESDAY 02 APRIL 2019 Press Release DONMAR WAREHOUSE ANNOUNCES MICHAEL LONGHURST’S FIRST SEASON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ● The first production will be a revival of David Greig’s visionary early play Europe, directed by Michael Longhurst in his first production as Artistic Director of the Donmar. Written 25 years ago, it is prophetic in its vision of Europe today - as a continent, a refuge, an idea. Cast includes Billy Howle (MotherFatherSon, On Chesil Beach), Kevork Malikyan (Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Cut), Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones, The Darkest Hour), Stephen Wight (The Paradise, Bluestone 42), and Shane Zaza (Happy Valley, Press). ● The Donmar will then stage the UK premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Appropriate, which takes on the rich tradition of American family drama. Jacobs-Jenkins’s play, set on a former slave plantation, about ghosts and the legacies we are left with will be directed by Ola Ince. Casting includes Monica Dolan (All About Eve, Appropriate Adult). ● The full-length premiere of a new play by Alice Birch [BLANK], will be directed by Maria Aberg who is making her Donmar Warehouse debut. [BLANK] is a co-production to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Clean Break Theatre Company and will feature an all-female cast of 15, including women who have lived-experience of the criminal justice system, and an all-female creative team. ● The UK premiere of Teenage Dick, US playwright Mike Lew’s high school take on Shakespeare’s Richard III, a dark and funny story about the rise of a teenage despot. Examining disability and power, Teenage Dick is directed by Artistic Director Michael Longhurst with actor Daniel Monks as Richard. ● Finally, in early 2020, director Lyndsey Turner will return to the Donmar Warehouse to revive Caryl Churchill’s Far Away, 20 years on from its premiere. ● Also included in Michael Longhurst’s first season is Writing Wrongs as part of the previously announced Fly The Flag. Inspired by Ai Weiwei’s Flag celebrating universal human rights, Writing Wrongs brings together writers including Zainab Hasan, Sabrina Mahfouz, Natasha Simone, Monsay Whitney and Alexandra Wood with school and community groups for a 6-month project to create monologues that explore what these rights mean to them personally. The project will see these monologues released as films, alongside performances in public spaces across London during Fly The Flag Week between 24-30 June, and invite people across the country to create their own films in response. ● Michael Longhurst has appointed Roy Alexander Weise as the first of his Artistic Associates at the Donmar. The Donmar’s Resident Assistant Director scheme also continues, with the appointment of Thomas Bailey and Blythe Stewart, who will each assist on three productions during the next year. Alumni of the scheme include former Donmar Artistic Director Josie Page 1 of 13 TUESDAY 02 APRIL 2019 Rourke, Bush Theatre Artistic Director Lynette Linton, and Almeida Theatre Artistic Director Rupert Goold. The Donmar Warehouse’s Resident Assistant Director scheme is supported by The Steel Charitable Trust. ● The Donmar is continuing its commitment to engaging new audiences by simplifying ticket access schemes and launching the DONMAR DAILY RELEASE. This new scheme will see a minimum of 40 additional tickets released for sale every morning for the performance 7 days later. Audiences can sign up to receive information about productions and ticketing on the Donmar’s website www.donmarwarehouse.com. ● The Donmar’s successful free ticket scheme for those aged under 26, YOUNG+FREE, will continue to offer seats for performances across the new season with tickets released on the final Friday of every month. YOUNG+FREE is funded through the generosity of audiences via the Donmar’s PAY IT FORWARD scheme. These donations have allowed the Donmar to allocate more than 16,000 free tickets to those aged under 26. Speaking about his first season Artistic Director Michael Longhurst said: “I couldn’t be more excited to announce my first season as Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse. This is a theatre I’ve adored for years. I once even slept outside overnight to get a ticket. For me, the Donmar is a magical space designed to ignite theatrical fireworks; an intimate space in which to congregate and expand our horizons. I’m honoured to be here and can’t wait to get started. In June, I’ll be kicking it all off by directing David Greig’s EUROPE. A masterpiece of modern British theatre, my production will be the play’s 25-year revival. EUROPE is prophetic in its vision for our complex continent. A story of borders and refugees; hope, conflict and love – it knocks me off my feet and I am sure you will feel the same. Then, from August, you can catch the UK premiere of APPROPRIATE by playwrighting sensation Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Stealing tropes from the great American canon, Branden’s riotous family drama uncovers buried secrets and asks what the correct response is. I’m delighted that rising star Ola Ince will direct. Following on, from October we share with you a new play by Alice Birch, one of the UK’s most daring playwrights. Mapping the far-reaching effects of our criminal justice system on the lives of women, [BLANK] is an invitation to see our society anew. Visionary director Maria Aberg helms this co- production with Clean Break, who are celebrating 40 years of making ground-breaking work with women with lived experience of the criminal justice system. I’m immensely proud to share the Donmar’s stage with them. I can’t wait to direct the UK premiere of Mike Lew’s genuinely hilarious play, TEENAGE DICK, which will open in December. Set in an American high school, it’s a cheeky and subversive take on Shakespeare’s Richard III, exploring our society’s treatment of disability and how it is represented. I am delighted that the incredible actor Daniel Monks will lead the cast as Richard. Finally, I am thrilled Lyndsey Turner will return to the Donmar to direct Caryl Churchill’s FAR AWAY. This extraordinary piece about a divided planet sliding into chaos is a landmark play of the 21st century, and I can’t wait to bring to the Donmar 20 years after its explosive premiere.” Page 2 of 13 TUESDAY 02 APRIL 2019 Speaking about improved ticket schemes and the continuation of YOUNG+FREE Executive Producer Henny Finch said: “We want the Donmar Warehouse to be for everyone and, although there’s no getting away from the fact it’s an intimate space, we have thought of ways to ensure tickets can be made continuously accessible and simplify the process of seeing shows here. Firstly, we will be launching Daily Donmar Release – a new and simplified way of getting your hands on tickets for Donmar shows. This new scheme will see a minimum of 40 tickets made available every morning for the performances taking place one week later. Engaging with new audiences is at the heart of what we do at the Donmar Warehouse, so we are thrilled to be continuing the fantastic YOUNG+FREE scheme where tickets will be free for those aged under 26 by ballot. YOUNG+FREE is funded through the generosity of audiences via the Donmar’s PAY IT FORWARD scheme, and so far these donations have allowed the Donmar to allocate more than 16,000 tickets to those aged under 26. Together these schemes will ensure tickets for the Donmar are available, to as many people as possible, every day that we are open.” Members Priority Booking for Europe, Appropriate and [BLANK]: Steel members from 10am and Copper members from noon on Tuesday 9 April 2019. Friends from 9am (online) and 10am (telephone) on Thursday 11 April 2019. Public Booking for Europe, Appropriate and [BLANK]: From 9am (online) and 10am (telephone) on Tuesday 16 April 2019. Further details and on sale dates for Teenage Dick and Far Away to be announced in the autumn. ENDS For further information, please contact: James Travis-Lever, Tess Shennan and Jo Allan at Jo Allan PR [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] | 020 7520 9392 Page 3 of 13 TUESDAY 02 APRIL 2019 NOTES TO EDITORS ABOUT THE DONMAR WAREHOUSE From our iconic warehouse space in the heart of London’s West End, we create world-class theatre with international impact. Our intimate auditorium offers audiences a unique shared experience, and an unparalleled connection with performers. We believe that representation matters; diversity of identity, of perspective, of lived experience enriches our work and our lives. We develop new artists and future audiences through our renowned training programmes and our Discover activity in schools and communities. We share the theatre we make widely through transfers, tours and on screen. Welcome to important stories, thrillingly told. MICHAEL LONGHURST – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Michael is an award-winning stage director. Previously for the Donmar he directed the UK premiere of Amy Herzog’s Belleville, starring James Norton and Imogen Poots, in December 2017. His acclaimed production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus at the National Theatre returned for its second run in the Olivier in early 2018. He also directed the celebrated Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori which transferred to Hampstead Theatre and then to the West End, and is nominated for three Olivier Awards. Michael’s Royal Court production of Nick Payne’s Constellations starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall transferred to the West End, winning the 2012 Evening Standard Award for Best Play and receiving four Olivier Award nominations, and ran on Broadway starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson, who was Tony-nominated.