Donmar Warehouse

The Donmar Warehouse opened on 18 Jul. 1977, as the Royal Shakespeare Company acquired the space as a theatre. The Donmar is a thrust theatre, meaning actors perform to audiences on three sides.

The theatre quickly became a testing ground for Royal Shakespeare Company shows and Stratford-upon-Avon transfers. After half a decade of RSC ownership, Nica Burns took over as artistic director from 1983 to 1989.

In 1992, the Donmar Warehouse became an independent producing house in 1992, and Sam Mendes took over as artistic director for ten years. Under Mendes, notable shows include Cabaret in 1993, starring Alan Cumming and Jane Horrocks, as well as revivals of The Glass Menagerie, Endgame and Into the Woods. Michael Grandage then took over as the Donmar’s artistic director in 2002; it was his first London theatre leadership.

In 2021, the Donmar Warehouse partnered with Wessex Grove, a UK based production company. The companies will develop new shows and take the theatre’s work to a wider audience.

Donmar Warehouse Seating Information

The Donmar Warehouse seats 251 people across two levels - Stalls and Circle.

The Donmar Warehouse auditorium is on an upper level, and is approached by stairs. The Donmar is wheelchair accessible, with three wheelchair spaces in the auditorium.

In the stalls, seating is on one level, with side seats on the rake. As there are few rows on each side, there is good visibility of the stage in all stall seats.

The circle seats offer good visibility also, with a maximum of three rows of seating. There is a safety rail, but this does not impede on viewing.