34-475: The Vote is a 2015 play by British playwright James Graham . The play received its world premiere at the Donmar Warehouse as part of their spring 2015 season, where it ran from 24 April to 7 May 2015. Directed by Josie Rourke and set in a fictitious London polling station on election night 2015 , the play was broadcast live on UK television channel More4 on the night of the election. In 2019,
68-444: A label on his sexuality. He also explained his struggle ("until recently") with relationships and "the level of commitment, vulnerability and intimacy that a healthy one requires". In 2018, Graham won his first Olivier Award, for Labour of Love as Best New Comedy (his other play Ink was nominated for an Olivier in the same year). He won his second Olivier Award in 2024, for Dear England , as Best Play. In June 2018, Graham
102-500: A new translation by Alan Hollinghurst and Phyllida Lloyd 's all female Julius Caesar , which later went on to play at the St. Ann's Warehouse , New York. The Donmar built a temporary, in-the-round , 420-seat theatre next to King's Cross station . This theatre housed the all-female Shakespeare trilogy: The Tempest, Julius Caesar and Henry IV, directed by Phyllida Lloyd , from September to December 2016. In June 2018, Michael Longhurst
136-548: A post held since March 2024 by Tim Sheader . The theatre produces new writing, contemporary reappraisals of European classics, British and American drama and small-scale musical theatre. As well as presenting at least six productions a year at its home in Covent Garden , as well transferring shows to the West End, Broadway and elsewhere. Theatrical producer Donald Albery formed Donmar Productions around 1953, with
170-693: A producer and theatre design consultant, converted the warehouse into a private rehearsal studio. In 1977, the Royal Shakespeare Company acquired it as a theatre and renamed it Warehouse , converting and equipping at "immense speed". The first show, which opened on 18 July 1977, was Schweik in the Second World War , directed by Howard Davies , which transferred from the Other Place in Stratford. The electricity for
204-530: A year previous reunited the Donmar Warehouse's artistic director Rourke with writer James Graham, who last worked together on the play Privacy , which also premiered at the Donmar. The play featured an ensemble cast of around 40, including Catherine Tate , Mark Gatiss , Timothy West , Nina Sosanya and Bill Paterson . Judi Dench also starred alongside her real life daughter Finty Williams for
238-798: The Brooklyn Academy of Music . Under Mendes, Matthew Warchus 's production of Sam Shepard 's True West , Katie Mitchell 's of Beckett 's Endgame , David Leveaux 's of Sophocles 's Elektra and Tom Stoppard 's The Real Thing were all productions at Donmar. Mendes' successor Michael Grandage directed some of the key productions of the later part of Mendes' tenure, including Peter Nichols 's Passion Play and Privates on Parade and Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along . In 2002 Michael Grandage succeeded Sam Mendes as Artistic Director. Grandage appointed Douglas Hodge and Jamie Lloyd as Associate Directors; in 2007 Rob Ashford succeeded Hodge. For its revivals of foreign plays,
272-618: The Young Vic . The RSC went on to stage numerous acclaimed productions, both original and transfers from The Other Place, Stratford . In 1980 nearly all the RSC company were involved in Nicholas Nickleby so a new two hander was found from the pile of submitted scripts. Educating Rita , with Julie Walters and Mark Kingston directed by Mike Ockrent , went on to be one of the RSC's biggest successes. From 1983 to 1989 it came under
306-655: The "unglamourous" settings of polling stations into "places where history is made". In 2019, the play was updated into a one-off rehearsed reading production for that year's general election , held on 12 December at Bush House . All the original cast members reprised their roles, with the exception of Judi Dench, Timothy West, Bhasker Patel, Kadiff Kirwan , Alice Hewkin, Madalena Alberto and Chukwudi Iwuji , who were respectively replaced by Susan Brown , Gawn Grainger , Sartaj Garewal , Calvin Demba, Shaofan Wilson, Lisa Caruccio Came and Nonso Anozie . James Graham himself read out
340-835: The British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to drama and young people in British theatre. In June 2024, the New Statesman included Graham in The Left Power List 2024 , the magazine's "guide to the 50 most influential people in progressive politics". Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden , London , England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes , Michael Grandage , Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic director,
374-473: The Donmar West End season, the Donmar held three productions internationally: transfers of Red , Piaf and Creditors , to Broadway, Madrid and the Brooklyn Academy of Music respectively. Furthermore, from 30 September through December, the Donmar had the first of three year resident spots at Trafalgar Studios 2 , in order to showcase its past Resident Assistant Directors. In February 2011,
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#1732801841821408-490: The Donmar collaborated with the National Theatre Live programme to broadcast its production of King Lear , starring Derek Jacobi , to cinemas around the world. With over 350 screens in 20 countries, this single performance of King Lear was seen by more than 30,000 people. In January 2012, Josie Rourke became the third Artistic Director in the Donmar's history. The first production under her leadership
442-535: The Donmar to the present day. The Donmar became an independent producing house in 1992 with Sam Mendes as artistic director. His opening production was Stephen Sondheim 's Assassins . He followed this with a series of classic revivals. Among Mendes' productions were John Kander and Fred Ebb 's Cabaret , Tennessee Williams 's The Glass Menagerie , Stephen Sondheim 's Company , Alan Bennett 's Habeas Corpus and his farewell duo of Chekhov 's Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night , which transferred to
476-609: The TV films Coalition (which won the Royal Television Society award for Best Single Film) and Brexit: The Uncivil War (nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie ). In 2019, Graham wrote and executive produced a three-part TV adaptation of his stage play Quiz , which aired in 2020. In 2022, it was announced that Graham had written the book for a new musical about
510-532: The UK premiere of Mike Lew 's Teenage Dick and the season closes with Caryl Churchill 's Far Away. He directed a revival of Constellations in the West End with four different casts. The theatre reopened in September 2021 and further productions included Henry V with Kit Harington , Macbeth with David Tennant and Cush Jumbo , and the musicals The Band's Visit and Next to Normal . In June 2023, it
544-605: The West End, and in 2024, the BBC announced they had commissioned Graham to adapt the play into a TV drama series. His plays are published by Methuen . In March 2024, he was the guest on the long running BBC Radio 4 series Desert Island Discs , hosted by Lauren Laverne . During his appearance on Desert Island Discs in March 2024, Graham said he has had relationships with women and men, describing his relationship history as "varied and flexible", but refusing to define or place
578-548: The Woods and the 1992 production of Assassins that opened Sam Mendes ' tenure as Artistic Director. Under the umbrella of Warehouse Productions, the theatre sometimes opened shows in the West End. Including 1999's Suddenly Last Summer and 2005's Guys and Dolls . Many well-known actors have appeared at the theatre, including Nicole Kidman ( The Blue Room ), Gwyneth Paltrow ( Proof ), Ian McKellen ( The Cut ) and Ewan McGregor ( Othello ). With only 250 seats,
612-400: The artistic directorship of Nica Burns . In 1990, Roger Wingate was responsible for the acquisition of the Donmar Warehouse. He completely rebuilt and re-equipped it in the form it is known today. Prior to its reopening in 1992, Roger Wingate appointed Sam Mendes as the theatre's first Artistic Director. As a board member and theatrical producer, Roger Wingate remains closely involved with
646-500: The company regularly commissioned new translations or versions, including Ibsen 's The Wild Duck ( David Eldridge ), Racine 's Phaedra (Frank McGuinness), Dario Fo 's Accidental Death of an Anarchist ( Simon Nye ) and Strindberg 's Creditors ( David Greig ). Its musical productions included Grand Hotel and the Stephen Sondheim works, Pacific Overtures , Merrily We Roll Along , Company , Into
680-424: The first time, playing a mother and daughter and marking her first performance at the theatre since 1976. A typical performance ran 90 minutes, with no interval. Describing the live broadcast, director Rourke said, "This is a unique opportunity for the Donmar to make a small theatre feel very big", whilst writer Graham added that he hoped to illuminate the "diverse, diligent and often hilarious individuals" who turn
714-618: The larger Olivier Theatre, and was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Play. This House was revived in 2016 and ran for two years, first in the West End and then on a national tour. He wrote the book for the Broadway musical Finding Neverland , and two of his own plays, Privacy and Ink (for which he received his first Tony Award nomination), transferred to Broadway. Graham's debut feature film X+Y premiered in 2015. He has written numerous TV dramas, including
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#1732801841821748-660: The life of televangelist Tammy Faye Messner , with Elton John and Jake Shears writing the music. Tammy Faye opened at the Almeida Theatre in October 2022, and was nominated for four Olivier Awards , winning two. Tammy Faye will transfer to Broadway in October 2024. In 2023, he wrote Dear England for the National Theatre, starring Joseph Fiennes , a portrait of England footballer and team manager Gareth Southgate . Dear England transferred to
782-519: The lines of Catherine Tate's character's brother, Colin Henderson, while Simon Russell Beale was the narrator. Rourke said that putting the show in 2015 was the most fun she's ever had in a theatre, adding that "it's glorious to bring so many of these actors back together, and I hope it's a reunion that becomes a tradition." As listed in order of speaking on the Donmar Warehouse 's website. The cameo role of Kirsty's in-law, Colin/Coleen Henderson,
816-534: The name derived from the first three letters of his name and the first three letters of his friend, ballerina Margot Fonteyn. In 1961, he bought the warehouse, a building that in the 1870s had been a vat room and hops warehouse for the local brewery in Covent Garden, and in the 1920s had been used as a film studio and then the Covent Garden Market banana-ripening depot. His son Ian Albery ,
850-403: The play was updated into a rehearsed reading production for that year's general election . The Vote was written by playwright James Graham . On 3 November 2014, it was announced the play would premiere as part of the Donmar Warehouse 's spring 2015 season and would begin previews at the Donmar Warehouse , London on 24 April with an official opening, and final night on 7 May 2015. Tickets for
884-464: The play's short run were made available through a ballot . In addition to its theatre showing, a live broadcast of the play aired on the UK television channel More4 on the night of the election. The Vote is set in a polling station in Lambeth , during the final 90 minutes of polling for the 2015 general election on 7 May 2015, meaning it was the first ever play broadcast live at the exact time it
918-407: The theatre was turned on just 30 minutes before curtain up, and the concrete steps up to the theatre were still wet. The Warehouse was an RSC workshop as much as a showcase and the seasons were remarkably innovative, including Trevor Nunn 's acclaimed Stratford 1976 Macbeth , starring Judi Dench and Ian McKellen , which opened at the Covent Garden venue in September 1977 before transferring to
952-798: The tickets for Othello starring McGregor were in such demand that Grandage feared it could become "a bad news story". His response was to plan a one-year season at the 750-seat Wyndham's Theatre , four major new productions presented by Donmar West End . It commenced on 12 September 2008, with Kenneth Branagh in the title role of Chekhov 's Ivanov , given in a new version by Tom Stoppard and directed by Grandage. The West End season continued with Derek Jacobi in Twelfth Night , Judi Dench in Yukio Mishima 's Madame de Sade and Jude Law in Hamlet , all directed by Grandage. Following
986-424: Was George Farquhar 's The Recruiting Officer , which Rourke also directed. Her first season also included Robert Holman 's 1987 play, Making Noise Quietly , directed by Peter Gill ; Jack Thorne 's new version of The Physicists by Swiss playwright Friedrich Duerrenmatt ; Brian Friel 's Philadelphia, Here I Come! , directed by Lyndsey Turner; and Rourke's own production of Jean Racine 's Berenice , in
1020-614: Was educated at Ashfield School, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and the University of Hull , where he studied drama. Graham's first professional play, Albert's Boy , was produced by the Finborough Theatre in west London, where Graham became playwright-in-residence. His first major play This House was commissioned by the Royal National Theatre , where it was critically and commercially acclaimed, transferred to
1054-694: Was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in its "40 Under 40" initiative. In January 2019, Graham's life and work was the subject of an in-depth BBC One documentary as part of the Imagine series. In May 2019, his play This House was voted Play of the Decade in Bloomsbury Publishing 's "60 Years of Modern Plays" public vote. He was appointed Officer of the Order of
The Vote - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-561: Was named the fourth Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse. Longhurst's previous credits include Constellations at the Royal Court Theatre and Amadeus at the National Theatre . Longhurst's first season at the Donmar started on 20 June 2019 with David Greig ’s Europe , followed by the UK premiere of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins . Further planned productions include [Blank] by Alice Birch ,
1122-534: Was played by a different guest actor at each performance. James Graham (playwright) James Graham (born 1982 or 1983) is a British playwright and screenwriter. His work has been staged throughout the UK and internationally, at theatres including the Bush , Soho Theatre , Clwyd Theatr Cymru , and the National Theatre . James Graham grew up in Kirkby-in-Ashfield , Nottinghamshire, and
1156-551: Was set. The broadcast attracted 555,000 viewers at its peak, making it the most viewed production in the history of the Donmar Warehouse . The broadcast was filmed using fixed-rig cameras, similar to those used in television shows such as One Born Every Minute , rather than conventional filming methods. The play was directed by Josie Rourke , with design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Oliver Fenwick, movement by Stephen Mear , composition by Michael Bruce and sound design by Nick Lidster. The work which had been in development for
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