Sondheim Celebration, Elena Roger in Passion and Derek Jacobi in King Lear Highlight New Donmar Season

London’s Donmar Warehouse revealed plans for next season that includes Elena Roger headlining Passion as part of a series of events entitled Sondheim at 80 and Derek Jacobi starring in King Lear.

Roger first made a splash in London in the title role of the West End revival of Evita, directed by Donmar Artistic Director Michael Grandage. Her other London credits include the title role in Piaf at the Donmar, in the West End and in Buenos Aires and Boeing Boeing in the West End. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Passion, in which Roger will play Fosca directed by Jamie Lloyd, will begin performances on September 10 and open on September 21. The production will run through November 27.

Jacobi will play the title role in William Shkaespeare’s King Lear, directed by Grandage. The actor and director having previously worked together on The Tempest, Don Carlos and Twelfth Night. The classic drama will begin performances on December 3 and open on December 7. It will play the Donmar through February 5, 2011.

In addition to Passion, the events of Sondheim at 80, which celebrates the composer’s birthday and long association with the theater company, include concerts of Sondheim’s Company on October 31 and Merrily We Roll Along on November 7, Grandage in conversation on September 16 with his predecessor Sam Mendes about staging Sondheim productions and the composer himself in discussion on October 11 about his life and career.

The jam-packed season will also include David Leveaux directing Simon Gray’s The Late Middle Classes, starring Helen McCrory. That production will play from May 27 through July 17 and open on June 1. Tony winner Ian McDiarmid and Charlie Cox will star in Heinrich von Kleist’s The Prince of Homburg (in a new version by Dennis Kelly), directed by Jonathan Munby from July 22 through September 4 with opening night set for July 27.

The Donmar has also announced the full cast for Mark Haddon's Polar Bears, which is the next show to play the theater. Joining previously announced stars Richard Coyle and Jodhi May are Paul Hilton, Celia Imrie, David Leon, Skye Bennett and Alice Sykes. It begins performances on April 1and runs through May 22, with opening night set for April 6.