We're ready to spill the tea... ☕️
2025: Watermill legends return, new writing, comedy, a detective adventure, a French icon, navigating the Thames and a happily fictitious memoir which bears absolutely no relation to any politician past, present or future.
Priority booking
We couldn’t say a proper farewell to the epic The Lord of the Rings without sharing a little memento. We hope you enjoy reliving the wonder with us and marvelling once again at the incredible team who created Middle-earth in the (Berk)Shire.
Tonight we’re joining with venues across the UK, lighting the theatre in red to highlight the ongoing difficulties faced by the live events and entertainment industries
We stand in solidarity with our fellow organisations, companies and freelancers
#LightItInRed
#WeMakeEvents
Sending the hugest thank you to The Lord of the Rings cast, crew and creative team for the most magical 12 weeks, and to every one of you for coming to the Shire and venturing into Middle-earth with us. We have loved it, we have loved it well.
We are excited to share that the second winner of the Theatre of the Year Award is
@WatermillTh
in Newbury.
Congratulations!
🏆
#TheStageAwards
in association with
@Tysersent
We are delighted to announce a summer of outdoor performances in The Watermill Gardens!
From 29 July to 29 August we will present two new shows which audiences can enjoy from socially distanced tables each seating up to four people.
Find out more here:
Your FIRST LOOK at our highly anticipated revival of The Lord of the Rings 👀
Playing for a limited 12-week run only, don't miss what audiences are already calling 'a definite must-see'.
Book now at 🎟
📸 by
@peachyraith
A statement regarding Arts Council England's funding of The Watermill Theatre.
The Watermill Theatre have today been advised that they will not continue to be funded by the Arts Council as an NPO.
1/6
And just like that...We're into previews 🤩 After 7 weeks of rehearsals, 20 actor-musicians are ready to present The Lord of the Rings for a 12-week limited run!
If you want to join us on the journey, book now at 🎟
✨2024 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT✨ We’ve been so looking forward to sharing this news! From the return of the Watermill Ensemble to summer at the circus, have we got a season for you. Sign up to be a member for priority booking from 9 Feb, and support our mission as we move forwards as
HAPPY 111st BIRTHDAY, BILBO 🥳🤩🎂🎉 and Happy Hobbit Day everyone!
We're really looking forward to celebrating in the Shire tonight! Mrs Bracegirdle's pulled out all the stops with the cake - Bilbo had better get in there quick before Merry and Pippin beat him to it...
We’re delighted to announce that our joint CEOs Paul Hart and Claire Murray have been included in this year’s The Stage 100!
What a great way to kick off 2024 ✨
We're excited to announce the appointment of four new Associate Directors as part of our Associate Artist Programme! Welcome to Lucy Betts, Robert Kirby, Sara Aniqah Malik and Georgie Staight. Click the link to find out more about the Creative Associates!
Introducing the cast of AS YOU LIKE IT. This incredible ensemble of actor-musicians will bring Yolanda Mercy’s new adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy to life, featuring a live modern folk soundscape. Welcome one and all. It’s going to be a magical summer!
Well, this is the loveliest news… We’re absolutely delighted to be nominated for Theatre of the Year in
@TheStage
Awards!
One year on from a 100% cut to our Arts Council funding, we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved this year, and so thankful for our amazing audiences,
We are happy to announce that from Monday, we will be opening our brand new outdoor Riverside Cafe in the theatre gardens!
Enjoy a selection of hot and cold dishes and afternoon tea beside the river. Open Mon to Thu, 12 - 6pm.
Find out more:
Wow…. NINE (!)
@BroadwayWorldUK
Awards! Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. We are so proud of the amazing cast, crew and creative teams we worked with last year. And a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us…we’re blown away.
We're delighted to announce The Watermill’s Autumn 2020 reopening season!
We're all about classic stories, creatively told! Step into the world of film noir; discover a national treasure; and be transported to Dickens’ London all in the safe surroundings of The Watermill Theatre
As we enter the final week of The Lord of the Rings, we thought we’d let you in on one of the Shire’s many secrets…James at Tin Shed Scenery hid this gorgeous maker’s plate underneath the centre of our wonderful revolve!
OPENING PREVIEWS BEGIN 🤩 Last night we welcomed our very first audience and we won't give away any spoilers but let's just say there may have been a standing ovation... I mean look at this beautiful setting!
Book at 🎟
📸 Photography by
@peachyraith
It’s opening night for The Hound of Baskervilles!
The stage is set, the sun is out and we can’t wait to invite our first audience members back since lockdown began! Here’s a sneak preview of the stage before last night’s dress rehearsal.
Photo Credit
@APickardPrice
#Watermill
Sneak behind the scenes as Director Paul Hart and Musical Supervisor Mark Aspinall take us into the rehearsal room of The Lord of the Rings 👀
Book now at 🎟
🎥 by Alex Ryland-Jones
Since The Lord of the Rings sailed to the Undying Lands, our office has had a Gandalf shaped hole 🧙♂️
Pulling such a special show together took a whole Shire, and each of us has loved it.
So tears, yes, but definitely memories. We thought we’d share some of them with you ✨
It's the first day of rehearsals at The Watermill for our cast of The Lord of the Rings 🤩 Looks like John O'Mahony, aka Bilbo, is already trying on the One Ring for size...
🎟 Book at
Sending the hugest THANK YOU to
@TriciaAT
who has stepped in to play Arwen in today’s performances ✨
And a massive thank you to the rest of our The Lord of the Rings company and crew
Everyone at The Watermill and two sold out shows worth of audiences today are so grateful 💛
When the Hobbits return to The Shire after their perilous journey, they don't find it quite as they left it... Our show considers the environmental message at the heart of The Lord of the Rings and so we send audiences home with a little bit of The Shire to rewild 🌱
We are thrilled to announce Sarah Travis, Caroline Sheen, Barney Norris, Tom Jackson Greaves, Tarek Merchant, Katie Lias and Sophie Stone as new Associate Artists at The Watermill and Wildcard Theatre as a new Associate Company. Find out more here:
Au revoir Amélie! We can’t quite believe it, but
@AmelieMusicalUK
closes today
@CriTheatre
Sending love to the fantastic cast and team and a huge thank you to everyone who's seen the show at The Watermill, on tour and in London.
It’s been magical 💚
✨IT'S OPENING NIGHT✨ So we absolutely must take a moment to acknowledge all the talented people who have worked so hard to bring this show to life. For all the stars you see shining on the stage, there are many many more who have been shining behind the scenes and in the wings!
On 11 April 2019 Amelie opened at The Watermill, filling our theatre with colour and whimsical wonder. We can’t wait to see
@AmelieMusicalUK
@CriTheatre
next month. It will be a real treat. Tickets via (Photo credit: Pamela Raith)
#AmelieLondon
1/5 We are thrilled to announce a summer season of outdoor performances in The Watermill garden. This exciting season celebrates the true spirit of live theatre and the great outdoors! We can’t wait to welcome you back! Follow the thread for details...
We are over the moon to announce that Amelie has been nominated for three Olivier Awards!
Amelie is nominated for Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations!
Find out more here:
#Amelie
#OlivierAwards
Our quirky little show has been nominated for 3️⃣
@OlivierAwards
and we couldn’t be happier 🥰
🏆 BEST NEW MUSICAL 🎭
🏆 BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OR NEW ORCHESTRATIONS 🎶
🏆 BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 👩🏻
Thank you all for your love and support! 💛
#AmelieUK
The 'Phenomenal' reviews continue to pour in for The Lord of the Rings!
Don't miss this once in a lifetime production which must end 15 October.
Book now at 🎟️
Bringing more awards back to the Shire!
We're thrilled to share that the Stage Management team on The Lord of the Rings have won the Team Award at today's Stage Management Association Awards.
Cat, Katie, Natalie, Fern and Leila did an incredible job last summer and we couldn't
We are delighted that The Lord of the Rings is continuing its journey across the world with a run in Sydney at the beginning of 2025, following its current run in Chicago and in Auckland this autumn. A year ago, we were welcoming audiences into the Shire for our new, intimate,
The wonderful Sioned Saunders will be playing the role of Galadriel for the remaining performances of The Lord of the Rings and we are delighted to welcome Zara Naeem to the ensemble. 1/2
We're very excited to announce that we're extending our season of outdoor performances in The Watermill gardens!
See The Hound of the Baskervilles until Sun 6 Sept and Camelot until Sat 5 Sept from your own socially distanced table in The Watermill’s idyllic riverside gardens!
Say hello to the cast of The Lord of the Rings🌟 We can't wait to bring this show to audiences for a limited run this summer. Playing at The Watermill from 25 JUL - 15 OCT!
🎟 Book now at
We're thrilled to announce our Notes from a Small Island cast: Mark Hadfield as Bill Bryson joined by the fabulous Bryony Corrigan, Wendy Nottingham, Anne Odeke, Steven Pinder, Akshay Sharan and Hayden Wood playing many colourful characters spanning Britain (and the channel!)
We're delighted to announce that we've been successful in two capital funding bids, enabling us to continue to protect and conserve our unique site, as well as make vital improvements to accessibility and environmental sustainability.
Thank you to
@ace_national
Capital
We are recruiting! We are looking for an Assistant Director and Musical Director to join the Creative Team for an upcoming Watermill Ensemble production. We strongly encourage those in the early stages of their career to apply. Deadline: Friday 30 April
Calling all 2019 & 2020 actor-musician graduates!
On 3 March, we'll be running a free virtual workshop to talk about the casting process at The Watermill, the current shift to self-tape & Zoom auditions.
For more details & to sign up visit
#Grads
Today we welcomed the legendary Dame Judi Dench to the Watermill! Here she is with Brendan O’Hea sharing a Shakespearean anecdote or two behind the scenes with our fabulous Much Ado About Nothing cast and crew
Thank you for celebrating our wonderful news with us, your support means as much as the glittering award we brought home yesterday.
A huge congratulations to our co-winners
@NationalTheatre
, and all the other winners and nominees in
@TheStage
Awards.
We're absolutely delighted to reveal the full cast for Assassins! This satirical and stylish musical by Sondheim and Weidman will be at The Watermill from 26 September to 26 October before a run at
@NottmPlayhouse
.
Find out who will be playing who:
Today we welcomed true theatre royalty as
@elaine_paige
came to see our glorious production of Barnum! 🎪
Thanks for coming and we hope you enjoyed your visit to our circus Elaine!
This time next week it's the
@uk_theatre
Awards. We are delighted that our General Manager Clare Lindsay has been nominated for Theatre Employee of the Year.
During these difficult times the team and their four legged friends at The Watermill Theatre just wanted to say a massive thank you to all our NHS staff and carers on the front line helping us all get through this. Thank you!
#ClapForOurCarers
#NHS
#Carers
#thankyou
The Watermill Theatre’s Christmas show, The Prince and The Pauper is a lively new adaptation by Chinonyerem Odimba of Mark Twain’s classic story of confused identities with music and lyrics by Tarek Merchant
@WatermillTh
Read More>>
A literal LEGEND is coming to the Watermill!
Judi Dench is joined by her friend Brendan O'Hea for a one-off fundraising event, full of Shakespearean stories and anecdotes from Judi's illustrious career.
Tickets start at £80 and go on sale to Friends and members from 25 March.
We're thrilled to announce that our next season will feature the world premieres of two new musicals, two Shakespeare productions, a hit comedy, a new drama, our next Senior Youth Theatre show and more!
Friends Priority booking opens 18 Oct at 10am.
Following today’s Government announcement that West Berkshire has been placed into Tier 2, we are pleased to confirm that The Watermill will reopen next week with performances of A Christmas Carol from Thursday 3 December.
We are thrilled to announce the cast of our concert performance of Stiles & Drewe’s JUST SO
The cast are (in alphabetical order):
Laura Andresen Guimarães, Alexander Bean, Nathanael Campbell Kemi Clarke, Dan de Cruz, Emma Jane Morton, Eleanor Kane, Emma Lucia, Pete Mooney
The Watermill will no longer receive regular funding from Arts Council England. We need your help more than ever to ensure that our work, and everyone who is part of this community, can continue to thrive.
Make a gift from as little as £1 today:
#Thrive
“‘My nerves tingled with the sense of adventure… such is the tale of the Hound of the Baskervilles!’
Have a look at some of the beautiful photos taken during the dress rehearsal for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Photo Credit: Pamela Raith Photography
#TheWatermillTheatre
One year ago today, we welcomed you into the Shire for the very first time for our new production of The Lord of the Rings. We loved every second of bringing Bag End to Bagnor.
Sending all the best Hobbit vibes across the pond to the brilliant
@PaulHarttheatre
, the team who
Tonight marks Morgan Philpott’s 450th performance on The Watermill stage. Morgan is currently appearing as the charismatic butler Lane and Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest, his eighth production at The Watermill. Congratulations Morgan!
‘In short there's simply not a more congenial spot for happily ever after than here in Camelot’
Take a look at the beautiful photos from yesterday’s dress rehearsal.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith Photography
We couldn’t be more proud of the Stage Management team for our production of The Lord of the Rings, who have been nominated for the SMA STAGE ELECTRICS Team Award for stage management in regional and subsidised theatre and live events 🥰
We can't process how EPIC Matthew Bugg's performance is 🤩 'Matthew Bugg's Gollum, climbing the timbers of the theatre, is a triumph' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Mail on Sunday)
Book now at 🎟
And just like that it's the end of the tour! Sending the fab folk
@SpikeThePlay
all the best for their final performance
@New_Theatre
Cardiff this evening. It's made us so proud to see this brilliant show spread cheer across the nation this autumn!
#SpikeThePlay
Attention!
We are super excited to announce the cast of Othello,
Using modern soulful music, The Watermill Ensemble will bring this bold and powerful story to life! Join us from Fri 16 Sep to Sat 15 Oct for this iridescent adaptation.
Book here:
Cast Announcement!
Meet the cast of Rapunzel who will be bringing some Christmas magic to The Watermill Stage!
Rapunzel runs from Thursday 18 November to Sunday 1 January. Tickets can be booked at
#CastAnnouncement
#Rapunzel
#Christmas
#ChristmasShow
Just So bursts on to this gorgeous stage for the first time this evening. We can't wait to take audiences on this wild and wonderful adventure! Wishing the cast and crew well for opening night🐘
Photo credit: Pamela Raith (
@peachyraith
)
#JustSo
#WatermillTheatre
#StilesAndDrewe
JOB OPPORTUNITY
We’re welcoming applications for an Assistant Director on Jez Butterworth’s JERUSALEM directed by Lisa Blair. Previous experience as an assistant director is essential.
Click the link for more information
#artsjobs
#uktheatre