Michael Grandage, who will assume the role of Donmar Warehouse artistic director in December when Sam Mendes leaves the position, has announced that the theatre will no longer set aside a month for the annual Divas at the Donmar series.

The acclaimed series, which Mendes launched several seasons ago, has offered performances by a host of luminaries from the West End and Broadway. Among the theatre stars who have performed in the intimate confines of the Donmar are Betty Buckley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, Audra McDonald, Clive Rowe, Michael Ball and Siân Phillips. This season featured evenings with Kristin Chenoweth, Ruby Turner, Philip Quast and Janie Dee.

Grandage, who recently announced the Donmar's upcoming season, told Whatsonstage.com, "We have every intention of continuing cabaret at the Donmar as it is clearly a natural home for such an event. We will be doing it in a more ad hoc way in the future, tailoring events to suit the availability of artists and our own programming of other work. This, hopefully, will allow us an even greater diversity of performers who come to work at the Donmar."

Grandage added, "The last five years of Divas has been the most perfect springboard to show the skills of great artists at this theatre, and we hope our loyal supporters will keep a keen eye on our programming over the coming years as we plan further such events in the less formal surroundings of a traditional 'diva' season."

The 2002-2003 Donmar season will include The Vortex, Caligula, Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. For more information, go to www.donmar warehouse.com. —By Andrew Gans