The Donmar Warehouse, under the artistic direction of Michael Grandage, is always looking for new ways to expand and new projects to undertake. Last year, it enjoyed phenomenal success with a West End residency at Wyndhams Theatre. Not only did the critics love the shows which included ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Hamlet’, the audiences loved them with the shows contributing to the West End’s record sales of theatre tickets.

Now the Donmar has announced that from this year it will have a three month season at the Trafalgar Studios, which will showcase the best in young directing talent. The first season will open on September 30th.

The first production will be Beau Willimon’s ‘Lower Ninth’ directed by Charlotte Westenra. This will be followed by ‘Novecento’ which is an adaptation of an Italian play about a jazz musician, written by Alessandro Baricco and directed by Roisin McBrinn. The season concludes with Jean Cocteau’s ‘Les Parents Terribles directed by Christopher Rolls. Theatre tickets for all shows, which promise to sell out quickly, are on sale.

Christopher Rolls has previously assisted at the National Theatre in London, the Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His own productions have included a superb ‘The Beaver Coat’ at the Finborough Theatre.

At Concierge Desk, you can take it for granted that we are constantly looking for the best deals in cheap London theatre tickets so that we can bring them to you. We also have some wonderful meal deals arranged with some of the capital’s top restaurants.

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’.

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