Josie Rourke quits the Donmar

www.donmarwarehouse.com/about/josie-rourke-kate-pakenham-announce-departure-donmar-warehouse/

I find it hard to believe Josie Rourke will have been at the Donmar for eight years already, it seems like only yesterday she took on the role.

Well I suppose I could give it a bash in the interim before I take over The Nash. Or I could probably do both at the same time really. Can't be that hard can it.

I mean you’re already “on brand” with the Hot Boys In Plays approach 😁

In all seriousness Rourke has done a great job, but 8/9 years seems a reasonable point to step away.

And speculation as to her successor starts here...!

It hasn't been 8 years yet - it will be in 2019. 

Must be getting old - it does indeed just feel like yesterday that she took over! I guess she is being lured away by film, after directing Mary Stuart.

It's been kind of an interesting period for the Donmar. I feel like her biggest 'hits' were relatively early on, with Coriolanus being the only really hot ticket, and the all-female Shakespeare productions being the major artistic achievement. I can't think of anything else that has really taken flight, in terms of popularity or impact. 

Then again, I feel like the Donmar has had a successful programme on its own terms, doing far more experimental stuff and not relying on star casting. It's just that is inevitably going to be less successful, in terms of bums on seats.

It'll be interesting to see who takes over.

Who is Mallardo?

For both to announce a joint resignation would suggest there departure was forced, but then again forced resignations are normally with immediate affect, so this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Could be a great appointment for someone of the likes as Stephen Daldry or Marianne Elliot.

On the one hand, I'd really like to see the artistic directorship go to someone other than a white man, but on the other hand, I'm immediately wondering if someone like Michael Longhurst would be up for it.

Pretty sure Marianne isn’t going to be abandoning her own new company (pun intended) a year in...

Although it will be interesting to read the job description, should it be reasonably publicly available once applications open. See if the goal of transferrable productions or at least working in more spaces than just the Donmar itself is something that gets mentioned at all.

Indhu Rubasingham would be an interesting choice although I don't know if she'd leave the Tricycle so soon,

A few transfers to the USA as well, and also the Shakespeare trilogy transfer to Kings Cross.

How many transfers did Grandage have (not counting productions which originated as Donmar West End productions)? Only one I can identify from the Donmar's wikipedia entry is Frost/Nixon.

For her succesor: I was wondering about Indhu Rubasingham too, depending on the timeline of the re-opening of the Tricicle, or possibly Madani Younis from the Bush although that would look like musical chairs as he replaced Josie Rourke there. Any possible candidates from regional theatres? eg Tom Morris?