DONMAR WAREHOUSE ANNOUNCES MAJOR REVIVAL OF PATRICK MARBER’S DEALER’S CHOICE
TO COMPLETE TIM SHEADER’S INAUGURAL SEASON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
With the critically acclaimed Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 currently playing at the theatre, and the world premiere of Anna Mackmin’s Backstroke in rehearsals, Artistic Director Tim Sheader and Executive Director Henny Finch today announce a major revival of Patrick Marber’s Dealer’s Choice, completing Sheader’s inaugural season as Artistic Director.
Matthew Dunster directs this 30th-anniversary production starring Alfie Allen, Hammed Animashaun, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Brendan Coyle, Kasper Hilton-Hille and Daniel Lapaine.
Dealer’s Choice opens on 28 April, with previews from 18 April, and runs until 7 June. Tickets are on sale to the public on 7 February with priority booking available for Donmar members from 30 January.
DONMAR WAREHOUSE PRESENTS
DEALER’S CHOICE
Written by Patrick Marber
Cast: Alfie Allen, Hammed Animashaun, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Brendan Coyle, Kasper Hilton-Hille and Daniel Lapaine
Director: Matthew Dunster
Design by Moi Tran
Lighting design by Sally Ferguson
Sound Design by Holly Khan
Associate Director Robyn Grant
Casting Director: Lotte Hines CDG
18 April 2025 – 7 June 2025
“Play the man, not the cards”
Sunday night. Stephen hosts a weekly poker game in the basement of his failing London restaurant. All the usual suspects are there; the chef, the waiters, the errant son…but tonight a stranger has come to play.
As the stakes get higher, the game turns savage…now no one’s safe when everything’s on the line.
Patrick Marber‘s acclaimed 1995 debut won The Evening Standard Award (Best Comedy) and the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain Award (Best West End Play). It has since been performed in more than 50 cities across the world.
Matthew Dunster directs this 30th anniversary production starring Alfie Allen, Hammed Animashaun, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Brendan Coyle, Kasper Hilton-Hille and Daniel Lapaine.
We are hugely grateful to Charles Holloway OBE, Season Supporter.
We would also like to thank our Production Supporter, Charles J Burdick.
Alfie Allen plays Frankie. His theatre credits include Hangmen (Golden Theatre, Broadway), Equus (UK tour) and The Spoils (Trafalgar Studios). For television, his work includes Safe Harbour, Atomic, Transformers: Earth Park, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Murders at White House Farm, Harlots, Game of Thrones, Close to The Enemy, Moving On, Accused, Freefall, Coming Up, Casualty 1907, Joe’s Palace, The Golden Hour and Jericho; and for film, Visitation, Night Teeth, Jo Jo Rabbit, How To Build A Girl, Predator, Plastic, John Wick, Confine, The Body, Powder, Soulboy, Freestyle, The Other Boleyn Girl, Atonement, Stoned and Agent Cody Banks 2.
Hammed Animashaun plays Mugsy. His theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre- winner of 2020 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play, winner of 2019 Ian Charleson Award, winner of 2019 Critics’ Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance), ‘Master Harold,’ … and the Boys – winner of 2019 Clarence Derwent Award for Best Male in a Supporting Role, Barber Shop Chronicles (National Theatre), A Monster Calls (The Old Vic), The Producers (Royal Exchange Theatre ), Kiss Me Kate (Barbican) and Wolves on Road (Bush Theatre). His television credits include Black Ops – BAFTA-nominated for Best Male Comedy Performance and winner of RTS Programme Award for Male Comedy Performance, Ludwig, Breeders, The Wheel of Time, Time Bandits, Black Mirror, Pls Like and Gods of Game; and for film, The Festival, The Loneliest Boy in the World, Surge, How to Build a Girl and The Ellington Kid.
Theo Barklem-Biggs plays Sweeney. His previous work for the Donmar includes Europe and Les Liaisons Dangereuses. His other theatre credits include Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham’s Theatre) and Chapel Street (Bush Theatre). For television, his work includes SAS: Rogue Heroes, Sliced, The First Team, Carnival Row, Timewasters, Clean Break, Drunk History, White Gold, Ballot Monkeys, Cradle to the Grave, Tatau, Alt, Crims, Kerry, Our World War, Silk, The Interceptor, Black Out, Count Arthur Strong, Family V2, Homeboys, The Guilty, A Touch Of Cloth, The Fades, Coming Up, Holby City, Law & Order, Miranda, How Not To live Your Life, Micromen, New Tricks, Some Dogs Bite, Survivors, Missing and Moses Jones; and for film, Cherry, The Forgotten Battle, The Power, Farming, Make Up, Den Nedste Mand, Hunter Killer, Journey’s End, The Festival, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Borrowed Time, Hammer Of The Gods, Keith Lemon – The Movie, The Inbetweeners Movie, The Man Inside, 7 Lives and Age of Heroes.
Brendan Coyle plays Ash. His previous work for the Donmar includes: Saint Nicholas by Conor McPherson. Other theatre includes The Weir (Abbey Theatre Dublin); Shining City (Theatre Royal Stratford East); The Price (Theatre Royal Bath/Wyndhams); Mojo (Harold Pinter Theatre); The Late Henry Moss; The Silver Tassie (Almeida Theatre); Buried Child Battle Royal (National Theatre); The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (Crucible Theatre,Sheffield); The Bear (The Gate Theatre, Dublin); The Weir – Winner: Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Supporting Actor, New York Critics Award; Outstanding Broadway Debut (Royal Court/ West End/ Broadway); Pygmies In The Ruins (Royal Court/ Lyric Belfast); The Changing Room (Duke of York’s); The Plough & The Stars (Gaiety,Dublin/Opera House Belfast); September Tide; Elegies To Angels, Punks & Raging Queens (King’s Head); A Love Song For Ulster (Kiln); Philadelphia Here I Come (Kings Head/Wyndham’s Theatre); Playboy of the Western World; All Souls Night (Lyric Theatre,Belfast) and Judgement Day (Old Red Lion). Films include: Mary Queen Of Scots: Downton Abbey; Me Before You; Unless; The Mark of Cain; Offside; Allegiance; The Jacket; The General; Perrier’s Bounty; The Raven; Mapmaker; I Could Read The Sky; Conspiracy; Soft Sand Blue Sea; Tomorrow Never Dies; The Last Bus Home and Aisla. Television includes: Toxic Town; Finders Keepers; Riches; Requiem; 12 Monkeys; Spotless; Lark Rise to Candleford; The Starlings; Downton Abbey ( Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for BAFTA, EMMY, IFTA and 3 SAG Awards for Best Ensemble); Blue Murder; Damage; The Good Samaritan; True Dare Kiss; Wedding Belles; Perfect Parents; Prime Suspect; Commander; Ghost Squad; Jericho; Shameless; Soundproof; North and South; Omagh; Amnesia; Single; Waking The Dead; Rockface; Bombmaker; Great Deliverance; Paths to Freedom; Rebel Heart; Thief Takers; George Gently; McCready and Daughter; Silent Witness and The Glass Virgin.
Kasper Hilton-Hille plays Carl. His theatre credits include That Face (Orange Tree Theatre- Best Newcomer at the 2024 Off-West End Awards and nominated for Best Performer in a Play at The Stage Debut Awards 2024), The Glass Menagerie (Rose Theatre, Alexandra Palace Theatre, Belgrade Theatre) and Flicker (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). His television credits include Baptiste; and for film, The Immortal Man and The Woman in Cabin 10.
Daniel Lapaine plays Stephen. His previous work for the Donmar includes The Dance of Death (Donmar at Trafalgar). His other theatre credits include Between Riverside & Crazy (Hampstead Theatre), Retrograde, Holy Sh*t, The Invisible Hand (Kiln Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe), Other Desert Cities, Hedda Gabler (The Old Vic), The Winter’s Tale (Sheffield Theatres), All My Sons (Apollo Theatre), Scenes from the Back of Beyond, F**cking Games (Royal Court Theatre), Les Parents Terribles, King Lear (Sydney Theatre Co.), Island (Belvoir Street Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet, Richard III and Hamlet (Bell Shakespeare Co.). His television credits include The Marlow Murder Club, Safe Harbour, Moonflower Murders, McDonald and Dodds, The Queen Of Oz, Upright, Van Der Valk, Who Is My Husband?, Black Mirror: Black Museum, Black Mirror, The Durrells, Catastrophe, Critical, Vexed, Identity, Moonshot, Hotel Babylon, Sex, The City And Me, Jane Hall, The Good Housekeeping Guide, Golden Hour, Jericho, Death On The Nile, Red Cap, Helen Of Troy, I Saw You and Tenth Kingdom; and for film, Dead In Tombstone, Zero Dark Thirty, Jack The Giant Killer, Last Chance Harvey, Shanghai and Muriel’s Wedding.
Patrick Marber is a playwright, screenwriter and director.
PLAYS: Dealer’s Choice, Closer, Howard Katz, The Red Lion, Three Days in the Country (all National Theatre) After Miss Julie, Don Juan in Soho, (Donmar Warehouse) The Musicians, The School Film (both for National Theatre Connections), Hoop Lane (BBC Radio 3). Stage adaptations include versions of Hedda Gabler, The Beaux’ Stratagem, Exit The King (all for National Theatre) and Trelawny of the ‘Wells’ (Donmar Warehouse)
SCREENPLAYS: Closer, Notes on a Scandal (Academy Award nomination, British Independent Film Award Best Screenplay), Old Street, Love You More, The Critic.
TV: co-writing credits include the comedy shows The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You With Alan Partridge (both BBC) His plays have won Evening Standard, Olivier, Time Out, New York and London Critics’ Circle and Writers’ Guild Awards. His TV work has received BAFTA, British Comedy and Royal Television Society Awards.
DIRECTOR: productions of his own plays and adaptations: Dealer’s Choice (National Theatre and Vaudeville) Closer (National Theatre, Lyric, Music Box NY), Howard Katz (National Theatre), Three Days in the Country (National Theatre), Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham’s) Exit The King (National Theatre). Other productions include The Room, Victoria Station and Family Voices (Pinter Season 2018/2019), Venus In Fur (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Travesties (Menier, Apollo and Roundabout NY – Tony Award nomination for Best Director), The Caretaker (Comedy Theatre) Blue Remembered Hills (National Theatre), ‘1953’ (Almeida) The Old Neighborhood (Royal Court). Recent work: Leopoldstadt (Wyndhams/Longacre – Broadway, Tony Award for Best Director of a play). The Producers, Habeas Corpus (Menier) Pandemonium (Soho Theatre) Nachtland (Young Vic) What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Marylebone Theatre).
Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer. He was born and raised in Oldham and now lives in South East London. Previously an actor, he has directed or written over sixty theatre shows, often with major national companies (including RSC, NT, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Bridge), as well as directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has been the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe.
His most recent productions include: 2:22 A Ghost Story, which ran in the West End for 694 performances; Shirley Valentine and The Pillowman, both at The Duke Of Yorks; The Homecoming at the Young Vic. Matthew has been nominated for four Olivier Awards and his Broadway production of Hangmen was nominated for five Tony’s.
In Autumn 2025, he will direct Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation of The Hunger Games.
DONMAR WAREHOUSE
LISTINGS
41 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9LX
Box Office: www.donmarwarehouse.com / 020 3282 3808
Instagram and Facebook: @donmarwarehouse
Bluesky: @donmarwarehouse.bsky.social
PERFORMANCE TIMES
Evenings Mon – Sat 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday matinees 2.30pm
TICKET PRICES
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
£70 / £50 / £30
Backstroke, Intimate Apparel
£60 (£55) / £45 (£40) / £25 (£20)
Dealer’s Choice
£70 (£65) / £55 (£50) / £30 (£25)
Preview discounts apply to the first four performances only
Standing £15 to be released at a later date
Donmar Members Priority Booking
30 January – Donmar Patrons can book via the membership team
3 February 12pm – Best Friends
5 February 12pm – Friends
6 February 12pm – Access and 35 and under tickets
7 February 12pm – Public on sale
35 AND UNDER TICKETS AT £20
Aged 16-35? Sign up to our exclusive email list to book tickets for £20, located throughout the theatre including the front row. Plus receive insights to shows, invites to socials, and exclusive offers at the bar and more. Book early to secure these prices. www.donmarwarehouse.com/35under
Maximum two tickets per person – both need to be aged 35 or under at time of the performance. Subject to availability. ID will need to be shown at Box Office to collect tickets.
DONMAR DAILY
New tickets on sale every day at the Donmar. Allocations of tickets will be made available every day for performances 7 days later. Tickets will be available across the auditorium at every price band.
ACCESS
The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES
If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email [email protected].
For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
Until 8 February 2025
Audio described: Saturday 1 February 2.30pm
BACKSTROKE
14 February 2025 – 12 April 2025
Captioned: Monday 31 March at 7.30pm
Audio described: Saturday 5 April at 2.30pm
DEALER’S CHOICE
18 April 2025 – 7 June 2025
Captioned: Monday 19 May at 7.30pm
Audio Described: Saturday 31 May at 2.30pm
INTIMATE APPAREL
20 June 2025 – 9 August 2025
Captioned: Monday 28 July at 7.30pm
Audio described: Saturday 2 August at 2.30pm
MACBETH – IN CINEMAS
5 February
DONMAR WAREHOUSE
The Donmar offers a uniquely intimate theatre experience where no audience member is ever more than four rows from the action. In our converted warehouse in the heart of the West End, we bring together exceptional artists to tell powerful, popular and inclusive stories. For over 30 years we’ve been making celebrated productions of classic plays, new work and intimate musicals that illuminate the human experience and thrill theatre-goers at our home base and further afield through transfers and on screen. We enable talented emerging artists to find new routes into the industry, and create opportunities for local young people to experience the artform as both audience members and makers. Through our productions and participation programmes we inspire audiences and artists of all backgrounds to embrace the experience of live theatre as a catalyst for inquiry, compassion, connection and joy.