The Watermill Theatre is a repertory 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.
 The Watermill Theatre (2006) | |
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| Address | Bagnor Newbury, Berkshire United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 51°25′17″N 1°21′09″W / 51.421310°N 1.352471°W |
| Designation | Grade II listed[1] |
| Type | Repertory theatre |
| Capacity | 220 |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Website | |
| www | |
The theatre has previously accepted funding from the Sackler family and has declined to comment on whether it still does.
History
editThe theatre is situated in Bagnor Mill, a former corn mill on the River Lambourn in Bagnor, Berkshire.[2] It opened as a 113-seat amateur theatre in 1965, having been converted by David Gollins.[3] In 1967 the theatre was expanded with the addition of a fly system and lighting control,[3] and housed its first professional productions.[4] In 1971, the auditorium was rebuilt to allow a capacity of 170.[3]
In 1981 the theatre was purchased by Jill Fraser, who sought to change it from a local repertory theatre into a producing house.[3] In the 1990s, the Propeller company was formed at the theatre. In the early 21st century, the theatre staged a number of productions that subsequently transferred to the West End – including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street[3] and The Gondoliers.[5]
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.[3] Fraser was succeeded as artistic director by Hedda Beeby. Paul Hart, the incumbent artistic director, was appointed as Beeby's successor in 2015.[3]
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.[6] 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 Windmill Theatre was the only institution which declined to comment.[7]
Productions
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021) |
In March 2020, the theatre produced the world premiere of The Wicker Husband.[8] The musical closed on its press night due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[9] and is due to return in March 2022.[10]
The theatre ended 2021 with Tom Jackson Greaves's adaptation of The Jungle Book.[11][12] WhatsOnStage described the use of they/them pronouns for Mowgli as "wonderfully inclusive",[13] although a review in The Times said that "in its eagerness to put across its message of inclusivity the show is sometimes over-earnest".[11]
In 2023, they staged a 12-week scaled-down revival of Lord of the Rings, which received the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Regional Production.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ Historic England (9 September 1969). "Watermill Theatre (1220572)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Berkshire XXXIV.12 England and Wales, 1841-1952". maps.nls.uk. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "History". www.watermill.org.uk. The Watermill Theatre. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Watermill Theatre". database.theatrestrust.org.uk. Theatres Trust. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Gondoliers". Albemarle of London. 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Ben (9 January 2022). "Sackler Trust gave more than £14m to UK public bodies in 2020". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Marshall, Alex (25 January 2024). "Institutions Are (Quietly) Taking Sackler Money". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Herman, Judi (17 March 2020). "Review: The Wicker Husband (Watermill Theatre) | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ Akbar, Arifa (5 May 2020). "Diary of a theatre under lockdown: 'We're on our third version of worst-case scenario'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ Wood, Alex (1 November 2021). "The Watermill unveils spring season including Spike Milligan comedy, Our Man in Havana musical and more | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ a b Marlowe, Sam (22 November 2021). "The Jungle Book review — a sometimes over-earnest 21st-century take on Kipling's tale". The Times. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "The Jungle Book". www.watermill.org.uk. The Watermill Theatre. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Herman, Judi (22 November 2021). "The Jungle Book review – a strikingly inclusive and bold reimagining of the Kipling classic | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 29 December 2021.