Donmar Warehouse – An Insider Guide
Where is Donmar Warehouse?
41 Earlham Street
Seven Dials
London
WC2H 9LX
Where can I buy tickets for Donmar Warehouse?
Telephone 020 3282 3808 or visit donmarwarehouse.com
Like many music legends- Elvis, Madonna, Prince, Beyonce- the Donmar Warehouse tends to call itself simply Donmar these days.
It occupies a former warehouse in the top end of Covent Garden. It operated as a theatre rehearsal room and workshop from the sixties but became the theatre we know today in 1992. Under legendary Artistic directors Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and most recently Josie Rourke, the Donmar has presented productions of new and classic plays in ground-breaking productions that attract top names. New Artistic Director Michael Longhurst is likely to continue the tradition.
Which are the best seats in the Donmar?
You’ll find the Donmar in Earlham Street. The foyer is small, well everywhere is small, except the stage which is a large open area surrounded by the audience on three sides. It can only accommodate 251 people who are spread on two levels- four rows deep at stalls level and 2 or 3 rows deep in the circle. Consequently you are very close to the action, especially in the stalls. I would always go for the centre stalls area for the very best view.
How can I buy tickets for the Donmar?
You can buy tickets directly from the theatre by calling 020 3282 3808 or visiting donmarwarehouse.com but, with so few seats, productions often sell out to members before they even go on sale to the general public. You can become a member for £75. There are ways of getting last minute tickets- you can sign up to the theatre’s Klaxon scheme which lets you know about late availability or you can visit the website at noon on Mondays. If you’re under 25, join the ballot to be in with a chance of free tickets on Fridays. And this is my insider tip– the Donmar are very good at releasing returns straightaway online, so just keep visiting the website.
What are the toilets like?
Unusually for a relatively new venue, the Donmar has a small number of toilets, small even for a small theatre: 6 for men, 4 for women- and the theatre comes low in The Stage newspaper’s rating for number of women per toilet. On the plus side, the theatre is fully accessible.
How do I find the Donmar?
The nearest tubes are Covent Garden and Leicester Square. If you drive, you can park in the Q-park in nearby Chinatown and, like any West End theatregoer, get a 50% discount.
Where can I eat nearby?
If you want to eat, you won’t find much inside the Donmar but it is in Covent Garden, so there are many eateries all around including the famous Ivy who currently have an offer to Donmar customers who quote ‘Donmar Programme’.