Donmar Warehouse Theatre

It's hard to believe that next year we'll be celebrating the Donmar's 10th anniversary as an internationally renowned producing theatre under the Artistic Directorship of Sam Mendes. It feels like yesterday that we were wandering through the shell of the building wearing hard hats, talking to Christina Smith, Jo Weir and their CGCA colleagues about our plans to re-open the doors with the premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. As we walked through the mists of plaster dust we jointly acknowledged how important it was to re-create the auditorium as it had been previously. In the 1970s, the RSC had introduced the Donmar stage as one of the most welcoming in the country and then, in the following decade, a host of companies welcomed by Nica Burns. The refurbishment was chiefly an opportunity to make the theatre more comfortable for everyone. Showers were inserted between two tiny dressing rooms - hitherto an unknown luxury - while out front two bars were added on, and the seating was vastly improved. Otherwise the key was to reveal as much as possible of the historical warehouse walls, which makes the Donmar experience unique. Local architects, Renton, Howard, Wood and Levine, were endlessly resourceful and wholly sympathetic.

Since 1992 we have produced over 50 productions. It's been a roller-coaster experience and a galaxy of practitioners and performers have created brilliant and celebrated work. The Donmar has been transformed every two months with new designs, new plays, musicals, cabaret seasons and revivals of the great contemporary plays of English and American theatre. Our core team at the theatre has stayed together throughout, and many of our audience likewise. We all know how lucky we are to be in such a special place. A lot has changed around us and we have progressed from feeling like the new boys on the block to a sense of permanence and belonging. At the root of all our activities is our identity as Covent Garden's local theatre.

Ten years ago we were bold enough to assume that we would raise enough money to run all the year round with a programme of in-house productions. Looking back, it is clear that without the dogged support of the community around us, we could never have achieved this. The challenges have been, and remain, huge. That the profile of the Donmar now registers internationally is a tribute to the community that fought to resurrect the theatre and ensure its future life, and to those who backed us to the hilt as we negotiated our way through a maze of funding applications and sponsorship proposals. Now is an opportune time to say thank you.

Caro Newling, Executive Producer

Covent Garden Community Association Annual Report 2000-2001

 

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