Michael Grandage and the Donmar Warehouse continue to dominate sales of theatre tickets in London. However, they are not content with commercial success. They are also receiving critical accolades. The latest evidence of this is no less than four Critics’ Circle Awards. The award for best director went, of course, to Grandage himself for ‘Ivanov’ and ‘The Chalk Garden’. The star of ‘Ivanov’, Kenneth Branagh took the award for best actor and best actress went to Margaret Tyzack for ‘The Chalk Garden’. The fourth award was for best Shakespearean performance which went to Derek Jacobi for his portrayal of Malvolio in ‘Twelfth Night’.

The casting for the final production of the Donmar’s year long season at Wyndhams Theatre has been announced. From the beginning of the season everybody knew that Jude Law would play Hamlet. Originally he was to be directed by Kenneth Branagh, but Hollywood came calling and Branagh is now busy directing the forthcoming film about the superhero Thor. Michael Grandage has taken over the job and has now assembled an exciting cast.

Fresh from his success as a diminutive Sir Toby Belch, Ron Cook joins Penelope Wilton, Gwilym Lee, Peter Eyre, Kevin R McNally, Matt Ryan, Alex Waldmann, John MacMillan and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

In December and January the Donmar Warehouse is planning a T S Eliot festival with a series of readings. These will include ‘Four Quartets’ performed by Stephen Dillane and directed by Katie Mitchell, ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ directed by Douglas Hodge, an evening of Eliot verse including his masterpiece ‘The Waste Land’ to be directed by novelist Josephine Hart and ‘The Cocktail Party’ directed by Jamie Lloyd.

These will all take place upon the set of a production which will be the centrepiece of the festival. Jeremy Herrin will revive the rarely performed verse drama ‘The Family Reunion’, which was written in 1939.

It promises to be a top london show. The cast will include real life mother and daughter, Anna Carteret and Hattie Morahan, Samuel West, Penelope Wilton, Gemma Jones, Christopher Benjamin, Phil Cole, William Gaunt, Una Stubbs, Paul Shelley, Kevin McMonagle, and Ann Marcuson.

The play tells the story of Harry who returns to his family home for his mother’s birthday. He confides a dark secret to his Aunt Agatha who reveals that the family has its own hidden demons.

T S Eliot was an American who moved to London at the age of 26. Amongst his other work was ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’, which provided the inspiration for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cats’.

Kenneth Branagh

IVANOV TICKETS – LIVE AVAILABILITY

London theatre audiences are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming production of Ivanov at The Wyndham’s Theatre, which opens on the 12th September. The classic play by Anton Chekhov has been injected with a new lease of life by the British Academy Award winning screenwriter and playwright Tom Stoppard.

The play centres on the story of Nikolai Ivanov, a government official who is struggling with his financial problems and strained relationship with his sick wife. Admonished for spending too much time away from his wife, he finds himself entangled with the daughter of a wealthy friend.

The play captures perfectly the stifling and caustic atmosphere that surrounds a Russia inching closer to revolution. It’s classic Chekhov, and promises to be compelling viewing. Kenneth Branagh plays the title role, returning to his roots in treading the boards as a classical theatre actor.

Ivanov is a brilliant play and has often been overlooked in favour Chekhov’s other more performed work, such as ‘The Seagull’, ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’. In an age where audiences are invited to partake in ‘pop-corn’ theatre, Ivanov will be a refreshing change; it’s not for no reason that Chekhov’s work has been consistently performed over the last 120 years.

Ivanov runs until the 29th of November, and marks the beginning of The Donmar’s twelve month residency at The Wyndham’s Theatre. There are cheap tickets available, starting at £10.

PIAF TICKETS – LIVE AVAILABILITY

The Vaudeville theatre gets a new play next month when Pam Gem’s 1978 play ‘Piaf’ transfers from the Donmar Warehouse at the end of its run. Currently Piaf is playing at the Covent Garden based Donmar Warehouse until September 20th, when it moves to the Vaudeville theatre for a fourteen week run.

Piaf is a biographical play of the French icon Edith Piaf. Edith Piaf was a French singer who rose from rags to riches, then spiralled into self destruction through addiction. The theatre show features some of her more noted songs, which include L’Accordéoniste and Non, Je Ne Regrette Rein.

Actress Elena Roger stars as Edith Piaf, in a role which has won her glorious accolades from established critics.

Michael Grandage is the Artistic Director for the Covent Garden based Donmar Warehouse:

I am delighted that the Donmar’s production of Piaf is transferring to the West End. We are enormously proud of it and particularly pleased that all the people who were unable to see it at the Donmar will now have an opportunity to catch it in its limited run at the Vaudeville theatre.

You can see Piaf at the Vaudeville theatre from October 21st until January 24th.

PIAF TICKETS – LIVE AVAILABILITY

Rosamund Pike

With Dame Judi Dench already cast, Madame de Sade promises to be hot hot hot when it begins previews at the Wyndhams Theatre in March 2009 as the cast will now also include Bond girl, Rosamund Pike. Pike has been cast in the title role of Renée in the Donmar’s third play  in their year long residency at the Wyndhams next year.

Directed by Michael Grandage, Yukio Mishima’s Madame de Sade is set in Paris, France in the turbulent and violent run up to the revolution. The play brings to life the notorious aristocrat, the Marquis de Sade through the eyes of six remarkable women, including Renée, the Marquis’ vehemently devoted wife, against the wishes of her mother (Judi Dench). The unseen Marquis de Sade is imprisoned for lurid escapades and licentious behaviour in the notorious fortress-prison, the Bastille in Paris.

Star of numerous British television productions including ‘A Rather English Marriage’ and ‘Foyles War’, Rosamund played alongside Dench as a rogue MI-6 agent in the 2002 Bond film ‘Die Another Day’, and won the British Independent Film ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award in 2005 when she starred alongside Johnny Depp in ‘The Libertine’. Also no stranger to theatre, her last appearance on the West End stage was in 2007 in ‘Gaslight’ at the Old Vic Theatre.

With such a high profile cast tickets for Madame de Sade are likely to be in great demand. Tickets are already available with Concierge Desk London, so if you do not want to miss out on this classic book your Madame de Sade tickets early!

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