Coming up in 2020
Find out about the four productions in Michael Longhurst’s second season as Donmar Artistic Director.
On the day of our latest season announcement, Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst sat down with Head of New Work Clare Slater to discuss the four productions that will be coming to the Donmar stage in 2020. Read on to find out more.
CS: How did you approach this new season, your second as Artistic Director?
ML: For me, it is essential that we produce work that is in direct conversation with the world today. Planning my second season, I set out to find a set of plays that explore some of our biggest issues; stories that pack a punch whilst also offering opportunities for spectacular staging.
CS: So what is the first production?
ML: My second season begins with In the Blood, Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks’ modern take on the classic American novel The Scarlet Letter. It’s an astonishing play and I’m surprised it isn’t more widely known. Suzan-Lori uses the story of homeless mother Hester to explore the intersection between gender, race and socio-economic opportunity. It’s both funny and tragic and in Hester, Suzan-Lori gives us a modern Mother Courage; a woman who will do anything to protect her children. I know Gate Theatre Artistic Director Ellen McDougall will deliver the most beautiful production.
CS: In the Blood is a wonderful play and, as you say, it is unbelievable that this is the first major UK production, 21 years after it was first written. What’s next?
ML: Next up is The Contingency Plan, which is a co-production with Theatr Clwyd. The Contingency Plan is a double-bill of plays by Steve Waters. It comes in two parts, On the Beach and Resilience, and between them they offer a personal and political perspective on the climate crisis. They’re funny and thrilling and full of all the sharp wit that Donmar audiences know from Steve’s earlier plays Limehouse and Temple.
For me, this is a very personal project. Theatr Clwyd Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and I directed the first production of The Contingency Plan at the Bush Theatre in 2009. In fact, for both of us, it was one of our first jobs in theatre. We’re delighted to be able to pass on that experience to our directors for this production, Caroline Steinbeis and Chelsea Walker.
CS: We have worked with Steve to update the plays to reflect a decade of developments in the climate emergency. In that time the science and politics have radically moved on. In response to the theme of the production, we will also be working with environmental sustainability consultants Julie’s Bicycle to make the production as carbon conscious as possible.
ML: Yes, the climate emergency is one of the most important issues facing us today and this production will kickstart the process of us making all of our work in more sustainable ways. We’ll also share what we learn with the wider industry through the Julie’s Bicycle Sustainable Production Guide.
CS: What else is happening alongside The Contingency Plan?
ML: I’m really committed to opening up the Donmar to our community and this year we are launching the first Donmar Local Company. Over two days in July, they will perform Assembly, a new play by Nina Segal, inspired by the Company, exploring visions of a climate positive future.
I want to challenge the idea of who belongs on the Donmar stage and give a platform to people who may not have a voice elsewhere. We’re living in such turbulent times and I feel it is more important than ever for the Donmar to play a civic role, bringing members of our community together to reduce social isolation, find common ground and see themselves and their stories presented on our stage.
CS: Following The Contingency Plan and Assembly, we have our third commission, a new stage adaptation of Ruben Östlund’s hit film Force Majeure, written by Tim Price. You will be directing that one, Mike. What can you tell us about the project?
ML: Force Majeure is a fantastic black comedy which follows a family who are enjoying a seemingly idyllic holiday in the Alps, until disaster strikes, and their world is thrown into chaos. It’s a story which shines a light on gender stereotypes as you watch the marriage of Tomas and Ebba implode following a single, split-second decision. It’s deliciously funny and also leaves me with one big question: how do you stage an avalanche at the Donmar?
