Stage and screen star Anne-Marie Duff will return to the Donmar Warehouse to star in Sweet Charity, artistic director Josie Rourke’s farewell production after nearly a decade at the helm of the prestigious venue.
The award-winning actress, who previously appeared at the Donmar in Rourke’s production of Berenice in 2012, will make her musical theatre debut as Charity Hope Valentine, the unlucky in love taxi dancer in Rourke’s version of the Broadway hit.
Running from 6 April until 8 June 2019, the production will also feature Arthur Darvill who will make his Donmar Warehouse debut as Oscar, the shy tax accountant captivated by Charity.
Rourke’s swansong production will feature choreography by Wayne McGregor who will reunite with Rourke after working on her critically acclaimed debut film Mary Queen of Scots.
To mark Rourke’s farewell project, all tickets at every Friday performance will be free to theatregoers aged 25 and under. The ‘Sweet Fridays’ free tickets will be allocated by ballot.
As part of ‘Sweet Fridays’, the Donmar will also invite schools from every London borough to see the show for free.
Supported by Susie Sainsbury and the Backstage Trust, the Sweet Friday scheme follows on from the ‘Young + Free’ initiative which has made over 15,000 free tickets available during Rourke’s tenure at the venue.
Commenting on her final project at the London venue, Rourke said: “Part of my mission as the Donmar’s artistic director has been to create cheap and free access for audiences, particularly young people. Through the generosity of Susie Sainsbury and The Backstage Trust, I’m able to finish my time at the Donmar on the happiest of notes, with something I really care about – great theatre for all young people.
“I’m so happy to be joined in my final production as Donmar artistic director by the luminous Anne-Marie Duff, making her musical theatre debut, and the great Wayne McGregor. They are two of the finest people, and collaborators I’ve worked with, and this reunion with them, and the music of Cy Coleman is a joyous way to end a dozen years as an artistic director from the Bush to the Donmar.”
Sainsbury added: “From the moment Josie Rourke and Kate Pakenham started they were determined to open the doors of the wonderful Donmar space to as wide an audience as possible. Through their vision of greater access to great art, what the Donmar has done to spur the rest of the industry to action is a remarkable achievement.
“I am delighted that we can support ‘Sweet Fridays’ for Josie’s final production, both in celebration of, but also in recognition of the importance of affordable access to the arts, particularly for young people.”
The production’s creative team includes: designer Robert Jones, musical supervisor Gareth Valentine, lighting designer Mark Henderson, sound designer Nick Lidster for Autograph, with orchestrations by Larry Blank and Mark Cumberland, original orchestrations by Ralph Burns, video design by Finn Ross and casting by David Grindrod.
With a book by Neil Simon which was based on Frederico Fellini’s screenplay for Nights of Cabiria, Sweet Charity features lyrics by Dorothy Fields and music by Cy Coleman.
Famously made into a film starring Shirley MacLaine, Sweet Charity made its Broadway debut in 1966 in a production which was directed and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse and featured his wife and muse Gwen Verdon in the title role.
Angela Thomas
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