In a press statement, she commented, "These three plays present three firsts for the Donmar and open my inaugural season as the new Artistic Director. With Farquhar's dark and sparkling comedy, The Recruiting Officer, written in 1706, we will present a play from this era on the Donmar's stage for the first time. With Robert Holman and Peter Gill we are drawing together two of the great lyrical voices of British theatre who -astonishingly - have never worked together before. Written in 1987, Holman's Making Noise Quietly was first staged at the Bush Theatre and is from an intensely fertile period of British playwriting, ripe to be explored and celebrated. Dürrenmatt's The Physicists will be the first major revival of the play since Peter Brook's production in the 1960's. It is an extraordinary, searching and moral drama. I'm delighted that brilliant young playwright Jack Thorne will be making his Donmar debut with a new version of Dürrenmatt's play. The variety of this work, from a classic comedy to a contemporary lyrical British drama, through to a European rediscovery in a version by one of our most exciting young playwrights both offers something new and celebrates what is rightly loved about this extraordinary theatre space."
Rourke takes over as artistic director from Michael Grandage beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Grandage's final production, Richard II starring Eddie Redmayne in the title role, runs through Feb. 4, 2012, so Rourke's season will commence following that.
Rourke has also appointed Anthony Weigh as associate artist and Michael Bruce as composer in residence (Bruce held the same post at the Bush). They will join incoming executive producer Kate Pakenham, general manager Jo Danvers and casting and creative associate Anne McNulty to form the Donmar’s core creative team.