Donmar Warehouse

Perched on the edge of Seven Dials, the 251-seater Donmar Warehouse can more than hold its own against the West End big hitters that surround it. This ultra bijou space had a reputation for slumming celebrities and impossible-to-get-hold-of tickets during the tenures of its now famous first two ADs Sam Mendes and Michael Grandage. Third boss Josie Rourke shook things up a bit: there were still big names in small shows, but also much more modern work. Talented current director Michael Longhurst has shifted the programming still further towards the avant garde; Caryl Churchill revivals sit alongside new work with an international outlook.