Watermill Theatre News

Bill Bryson's smash-hit memoir,  Notes From A Small Island, will journey to the stage of the Theatre Royal, Glasgow as part of a national UK tour starring TV favourite Les Dennis as much-loved writer Bill Bryson.

The Watermill Theatre has announced that Savills in Newbury is renewing its sponsorship of The Watermill Theatre’s e-tickets for the third year. 

Carrie Hope Fletcher will lead an all new UK tour of Calamity Jane, which will tour the UK and Ireland from January 2025 prior to the West End.

With a captivating performance from Charlie Russell leading a fantastic ensemble and a well crafted script by Calum Finlay, this should mark your next visit to the Watermill Theatre in its amazing summer season.

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced full casting for Gordon Greenberg’s production of The Baker’s Wife – with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Joseph Stein. Learnm ore about the cast here!

The Watermill Theatre has revealed the cast and creative team for Barnum, the venue’s spectacular summer musical. Learn how to purchase tickets.

The company of the world premiere production of FANNY - a new comedy by Calum Finlay centring on the life of Fanny Mendelssohn - have issued an invitation to women musicians to take part in the Irish tradition of the Noble Call, which is derived from the tradition of calling on guests at a party to share a song, a poem or to respond to the mood of the day.

Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre welcomed Dame Judi Dench on Friday 10 May for exclusive, one-off fundraising event - Shakespeare: Judi Dench in conversation with Brendan O’Hea​​​​​​​. Check out photos here!

Darren Criss will return to the stage alongside Helen J Shen in the Broadway premiere of the new romantic musical comedy Maybe Happy Ending with music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park and book by both Aronson and Park. We have all of the details!

Allan Stewart (Stones in His Pockets, West End, UK Tour, Toronto; STV Hello, Good Evening, Welcome) and Alex Bourne (Annie, West End, UK Tour, Toronto; Hairspray, UK Tour) will reprise their touring roles as The Wizard when The Wizard of Oz concludes its major UK and Ireland tour this summer. 

All new rehearsal photos have been released from Swim, Aunty, Swim!, a new play by Siana Bangura, directed by Madeleine Kludje, produced by The Belgrade in association with tiata fahodzi. Check out the photos here!

The world premiere production of FANNY, a new comedy by Calum Finlay will play at The Watermill from Thursday 23 May to Saturday 15 June. Check out rehearsal photos here!

The full cast and creative team have been announced for the upcoming premiere of a new stage adaptation of Kevin and Katie Tsang's best-selling book Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts.

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced initial casting for The Baker's Wife – with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Joseph Stein. Learn more about the cast here!

FANNY, written by Calum Finlay and directed by Katie-Ann McDonough, is about to open at the Watermill Theatre in West Berkshire. The show tells the story of Fanny Mendelssohn, the real-life older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, and places her in a “what if” situation involving an intercepted letter and Queen Victoria. 

Theatres Trust, the national advisory and advocacy body for theatres, has awarded more than £100,000 in grants to theatres in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales through its Small Grants Programme with The Linbury Trust.

The full cast and creative team have been announced for the world première of Brandon Lambert and Martin Landry’s Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp!!

Two new appointments have been made to the Watermill Theatre's Board of Trustees. Learn more about the new members here!

Pitlochry Festival Theatre and OVO have announced the première of Scottish playwright Frances Poet’s exciting new stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s satirical study of society, money, and love - Sense and Sensibility. 

Full casting has been announced for Swim, Aunty, Swim!, a new play by Siana Bangura, directed by Madeleine Kludje, produced by The Belgrade in association with tiata fahodzi.