Michael Grandage to Leave The Donmar Warehouse

Michael Grandage has announced he will step down as Artistic Director of The Donmar Warehouse in late 2011 after nine years of leading the company.

He said today, "With the Donmar's reputation in a particularly exciting place both at home and abroad, I feel now is the right moment to start a hand-over period to a new Artistic Director. It will enable someone to build on the success we have achieved over the last nine years and to look to the future with real confidence. I have spent nearly fifteen years running organisations in the subsidised sector in Sheffield and London and the experience has been completely thrilling from start to finish. I am now keen to have a career that moves away from being in charge of a building in order to develop my work as a director in other ways. There are an enormous amount of people to thank for making the last few years the most exciting of my professional life and I look forward to engaging with each and every one of them in the months ahead."

His inaugural production in 2002 was "THE VORTEX" with Chiwetel Ejiofor, a relationship he was to renew five years later with his production of "OTHELLO". Under Grandage, the company has won over 80 major awards including Olivier, Tonys, Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Awards. For Michael personally this includes, Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Director of a Play for "RED", Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Awards for Best Director for "IVANOV", Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Awards for Best Director for "THE CHALK GARDEN", Evening Standard Award for Best Director for "OTHELLO", Critics' Circle Award for Best Director for "THE WILD DUCK", Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production for "GUYS AND DOLLS", Evening Standard Award for Best Director and Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production for "GRAND HOTEL", and Olivier Award for Best Director for "CALIGULA".

Michael Grandage's next production for the Donmar is KING LEAR followed by a new production of Schiller's LUISA MILLER in 2011. Also next year, he makes his debut at the Met with a new production of "DON GIOVANNI". In 2012 he is set to direct a production of "EVITA" on Broadway as well as a return to Glyndeborne.