The Watermill Theatre is a producing theatre in Bagnor, Berkshire. It opened in 1967 in Bagnor Mill, a converted watermill on the River Lambourn. As a producing house, the theatre has staged works that have subsequently moved on to the West End, including the 2004 revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which also transferred to Broadway in 2006.[2] The theatre has become recognised in particular for its focus on actor-musician led productions, and for focusing on accessibility within theatre.[3] In particular, the theatre has pioneered the concept of Integrated British Sign Language performances, which is a style of interpreted performance wherein the interpreters perform on stage as part of the cast, as opposed to remaining by the side of the stage.[4]
In 2024 the Watermill Theatre jointly won Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards.[5]
History
The theatre is situated in Bagnor Mill, a former corn mill on the River Lambourn in Bagnor, Berkshire.[6] The site is named in the Domesday Book, which references a watermill in Bagnor, though the current building is much more recent. It opened as a 113-seat amateur theatre in 1965, having been converted by David Gollins.[7] In 1967 the theatre was expanded with the addition of a fly system and lighting control,[7][failed verification] and housed its first professional productions.[8] In 1971, the auditorium was rebuilt to allow a capacity of 170.[7][failed verification]
In the mid-2000s, Fraser sought to sell the theatre to ensure its long-term future. The "Save The Watermill" appeal was founded to raise funds to allow the board of trustees to purchase the theatre. Fraser died from cancer in February 2006. In 2008 it was announced that funds had been met for the theatre's purchase.[7]
Fraser was succeeded as artistic director by Hedda Beeby, who was voted Theatre Manager of the year in the 2014 UK Theatre Awards.[7] Paul Hart, the incumbent artistic director, was appointed as Beeby's successor in 2015.[7]
Awards
Theatre
In 2024 the Watermill Theatre and the National Theatre were jointly awarded Theatre of the Year by The Stage.[5]
In 2024 the theatre was name Community Charity of the Year by the Greenham Trust at their annual awards ceremony, in recognition of their outreach programme.[10]
Shows
Sweeney Todd (2006) received two Olivier Awards, after transferring from the Watermill.[11][failed verification]
2024 – The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale – debuted in the US at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in 2024,[14] transferred to New Zealand in November 2024,[15] and due to tour Australia and Europe in 2025.[16]
2008 – Sunset Boulevard (directed by Craig Revel Horwood) - West End transfer at The Comedy Theatre.[26]
2005 – Sweeney Todd – transferred to Broadway.[27]
Community outreach
In 2024 the theatre was name Community Charity of the Year by the Greenham Trust at their annual awards ceremony, in recognition of their outreach programme.[10]
The Watermill runs a "Careers in the Arts" programme, in collaboration with Corn Exchange Newbury, which inspires and educates young people through work experience, workshops, and traineeships.[11]
Associate Artists
The Watermill currently works with a number of creative individuals as Associate Artists, including;[11]
Judi Dench delivered a talk at the theatre in 2024 as a special fundraising event.[28]
Patrick Stewart delivered a talk in 2011, discussing his experience as an actor, as part of a fundraising event.[29]
Sean Bean performed in his professional debut, playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Watermill in 1983.[24]
Ncuti Gatwa performed as the Captain in the 2018 production of The Rivals.[30]
Audrey Brisson played Amelie, in Amelie (2019) and was later nominated for an Olivier award for this role.[31]
Louis Maskell performed in Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale as Frodo, and has subsequently been announced as the latest actor to play King George in the long-standing West End production of Hamilton.[32]
Jodie Prenger has performed in two productions at the Watermill, in Tell me on a Sunday and Calamity Jane.[33]
Bill Nighy began his career at the Watermill, first as assistant stage manager, and then in The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore which was his professional debut.[24]
Luke Sheppard directed Oliver! at the Watermill in 2015 and Murder for Two in 2017.[24]
David Suchet reportedly worked at the Watermill early on in his career.[35]
Funding
The Watermill is a registered charity and receives funding from a variety of sources. It was previously funded by Arts Council England, as part of their National Portfolio Organisation funding scheme, which highlights cultural institutions that it believed to be of national importance. In 2022, the Arts Council announced the conclusion of a major review into its funding strategy, which resulted in many cultural organisations having their funding cut, including the Watermill which lost 100% of its funding.[36]
The theatre also receives funding in the form of individual donations by members of the public, donations from Trusts and Foundations as well as through corporate funding schemes.[37] Income is also generated through the sale of tickets for the shows, and sale of merchandise.
In 2020, the theatre accepted a £500,000 donation from the Sackler family, the billionaire American family accused of contributing to the opioid crisis through the drug OxyContin.[38] In January 2024, the New York Times contacted 30 institutions which were previously recipients of Sackler money, 29 of which confirmed that they no longer accepted money from the family. The Watermill Theatre was the only institution which declined to comment.[39]
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