Watermill Theatre

Box office

01635 46044

The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury, RG20 8AE. A map is here. A seating plan is here.

Next

The King and Queen of Sugar Street, 1st to 4th July
By Ade Morris. The West Berkshire Federation of Village Schools teams up with The Watermill for the seventh time to create another funny, touching and innovative summer show performed by the children themselves. What would you do if you were the King and Queen of Sugar Street? Would you chop off people’s heads, start a war, make everyone pay a million pounds a day in taxes and go hunting in the supermarket for wild bears? Mmm. Maybe not. Ever thought why the rules in 2009 are written the way they are? Join us on a comic romp through the history of democracy as we work out why the country is set up the way it is, why we have laws, leaders we can get rid of, and sensible discussions about stuff. Oh, and what it means to live in a country where the King and Queen of Sugar Street end up on the bus with everyone else...

Spend Spend Spend!, 9th July to 29th August
Scraping by on seven quid a week with her husband and three kids in a tiny terraced house in Castleford, Yorkshire, Viv Nicholson’s life was as near rock bottom as it could get. Until that day in 1961 when Viv borrowed £5 from her Mam to play the Pools and she was catapulted from obscurity to fame with the biggest win ever - £152,319 (£5 million today). And that was it, Viv and Keith’s lives changed overnight and Viv declared to the world she was going to spend, spend, spend. ‘Booze, big cars, big spending, big headlines’ and a succession of husbands soon led to bankruptcy. From rags to riches and back to rags again, a gritty and poignant musical about the extraordinary story of a brash and naïve, northern lass brought to you by the same creative team behind recent Watermill hit shows, Sunset Boulevard, Martin Guerre and Hot Mikado.

Hot Mikado, 3rd to 19th September
Following its sell-out success at The Watermill in 2006, Hot Mikado is back, for three brief weeks. Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood and Tony award-winning orchestrator Sarah Travis’ electrifying show had toes tapping, fingers clicking and enjoyed standing ovations almost nightly. The G & S catchy score, with a more contemporary feel, has all the swings, jives and sassy songs you’d expect plus a little gospel, rhythm and blues thrown in for good measure. Without doubt this is one of the most energetic and exhilarating shows you’ll see anywhere this year. Picture a little town in Japan where flirting is punishable by death. Unsurprisingly its citizens are finding the law rather, well… tiresome. They appoint Ko Ko, a lowly tailor, as Lord High Executioner, himself condemned for flirting, so not likely to execute anyone else. Throw in the beautiful Yum Yum, her ardent admirer Nanki–Pooh, errant son of the Mikado and the man-eater Katisha, and you have one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most famous nineteenth century comic operas in all its wonderful absurdity.

Bubbles, 22nd to 26th September
By Ade Morris. The years have left Barbara ‘Bubbles’ Beswick behind, banjaxed, bewildered and recently widowed, where did her youth go? What happened to all her dreams? Her sons Charley and Dirk are chips off the cylinder block of the charismatic Reg Beswick, but they have different plans for the scrapyard now that Reg is just a ghost in every abandoned passenger seat. The future of Bubbles Scrap is as black as the oil that drips from the sump of BU88 LE5... Enter Theresa, the future in executive heels, with a juicy contract to buy the scrap yard and turn it into a car supermarket. Time is fast running out for the Beswicks. Bubbles is a brand new, full-on musical about two Englands: one, the post war land of decency, darts, honest money, the Mark Two Jaguar and fish and chips - already fading from memory, and the other - the shiny unfamiliar England, a new era. Which will rule the scrapyard? See the review below.

Two Gentlemen of Verona or Vakomana Vaviri Ve Zimbabwe, 29th September to 3rd October
By William Shakespeare. From Verona to Milan, via Harare and Bulawayo, two great friends, Valentine and Proteus, vie for the love of the same woman. When Valentine is banished, their friendship is threatened and only through disguise, deception and intrigue are they reconciled. In a broad, loud, triumphantly energetic ‘township’ style, the two actors slip into all of the play’s fifteen characters – from amorous suitors to sullen daughters, depressed servants and even a dog! Using little to no props, a few items of clothing and a set that consists of no more than a trunk, the actors explore the text’s nuances from a distinctly Zimbabwean perspective, bringing Shakespeare’s verse to life in new and unfamiliar cadences. With a watchful eye, great intuition and comic timing, the actors draw the audience into the action and create a soulful and engaging theatrical experience not to be missed.

Educating Rita, 8th October to 14th November
By Willy Russell. Bored with teaching English Literature to unappreciative, pretentious undergraduates, Frank Bryant takes solace in his whisky glass and reflects on what might have been. His world is turned upside down by the arrival of Rita, a bubbly, working class hairdresser who decides to find herself by taking an Open University course, much to the dismay of her husband. Her fresh, witty humour and intuitive approach reignites Frank’s passion for his subject and life as Rita grows in confidence and begins to bloom intellectually. It is only when she starts to take on some of the characteristics of his university students that things begin to deteriorate…

James and the Giant Peach, 26th November to 3rd January
By Roald Dahl. When his parents are eaten by a runaway rhinoceros that has escaped from London Zoo, James Henry Trotter is sent to live with his evil Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. Lonely and overworked, James meets a mysterious old man who gives him a marvellous magic bag of glowing green crystals. After accidently scattering them in his garden, he is amazed to find that a peach has started to grow on a withering tree, but this is no ordinary peach as it continues to grow to the size of a house! Excited, James discovers a secret tunnel leading to the centre and begins to realise that this may be the answer to his dreams… James and The Giant Peach will take you on a magical, musical adventure across the Atlantic with James and an oversized grasshopper, ladybug, centipede, glow-worm, spider and earthworm for company. Full of fun, friendships and frolicking feats, this exciting musical comedy written by Roald Dahl and adapted by award-winning playwright, David Wood OBE, will sweeten your spirits this Christmas. A colourful, classic treat for all the family.

For more details

see the Watermill's web site at www.watermill.org.uk.

Review of Bubbles

On tour April to June 2009.

From the Newbury Weekly News.

Catch some Willesden wit as it blows your way The Watermill: Bubbles, at East Garston Village Hall, on Saturday, April 25,and at The Watermill from May 12 to 16, and on tour Who'd have thought a village hall on a Saturday April afternoon could be so full of atmosphere? There were several empty chairs for the matinée performance of Ade Morris' Bubbles, but a blink after the (non-existent) curtain went up, those who were there became engrossed in the life of Bubbles Brough and her two sons. It started with an end, that of Bubbles' husband Ted who had abandoned life while digging in his Willesden scrapyard. Carl Calow's vibrant music, directed by Sarah Travis, captured every mood as the performance continued, beginning with Bubbles (Melody Brown), all raw emotion, pleading with the extinct Ted "not to leave me without a cuddle". It was clear that Bubbles was of the strong, salt-of-the-earth variety, the sort who prefers "proper coffee" - ie Nescafé. The action alternated between the present and the highs and lows of Bubbles' life with Ted, which were introduced by eldest son, Charlie (Dan Smith). As well as looking after mum, Charlie had to cope with brother, Dirk (Ryan Coath), a knicker-charmer who, he said, "you wish had been left in a condom". The two lads must decide what to do with the scrapyard which Ted had wanted to turn into a garden centre, but a lucrative offer makes them waver and eventually Bubbles' health becomes the deciding factor. If the words 'garden centre' make you think this is going to be a placid, quiet piece, think again. Packed with down-to-earth Willesden humour, pulsating, moving music from the actors' guitars, piano, bells and more, this is a musical story, bang up to date, told by three actors who inhabit their roles so completely that the audience is with them in the scrapyard, living their lives. Seamless interchanges had Bubbles dancing in a sundress one moment, the next clad in dingy mac and beige beret; Ryan Coath, brilliantly doubled the role of Irish Ted with drug-dealing Dirk, contrasting with Dan Smith's nicely judged 'reluctantly sensible older brother' performance. For the first time The Watermill have launched their touring production before its run at the theatre and subsequent tour. Catch Bubbles wherever you can; it is a cleverly crafted, hilariously poignant piece of theatre. CAROLINE FRANKLIN

Reviews of Blithe Spirit

21st May to 27th June 2009.

From Newbury Theatre.

For a play that Noël Coward wrote in five days, Blithe Spirit has done well to be going strong after 68 years. Charles Condomine and Ruth, his second wife, have invited their friends the Bradmans round for dinner with Madame Arcati, a local medium. After dinner, she arranges a séance and manages to bring back the ghost of Elvira, Charles’ first wife. The ensuing friction between Charles, Ruth and Elvira provides much of the humour in what is a very funny play. This isn’t, and wasn’t intended to be, a deep play with a message; it’s just for fun, and its enduring appeal lies in Coward’s witty badinage. Charles (Hywel Morgan) and Ruth (Caitlin Mottram) at first seem to be a well-matched, contented couple, easing us into the play in the lovely 1940s drawing room setting. When Dr Bradman (Antony Gabriel) and Mrs Bradman (Joanne Redman) arrive, the martinis flow freely (but wouldn’t they have had olives in them? Maybe olives were hard to come by during the war). After Madame Arcati (Claire Vousden) has done her stuff and rematerialized Elvira (Kelly Williams), the action hots up. Director Orla O’Loughlin sets a cracking pace for the play, and Hywel Morgan, Caitlin Mottram and Kelly Williams go at each other so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Claire Vousden is a brisk, no-nonsense Madame Arcati; you could imagine her as an eccentric school mistress at a girls’ private school. Less flamboyant than many in this role, but by no means understated, she gave a refreshing twist to the part. I particularly liked the visual comedy of the trances. Joanne Redman was delightful as the mousey Mrs Bradman. Edith, the maid, is written as a comic character, but Emily Wachter injected a lot more comedy into it. Dancing to the music was a surprising addition that worked very well, and helped to give a smooth segue to the scene changes. Blithe Spirit provides a refreshing antidote to the current economic woes, and a happy way to spend a summer evening. PAUL SHAVE

From the Newbury Weekly News.

Coward masterpiece revived The Watermill's spirited professionals show how it should be done Blithe Spirit, at The Watermill, Bagnor, until June 27 Noel Coward's masterpiece carries the same guarantee of enjoyment as a well-mixed dry martini and there is much of the tinkling ice about the sharp, often wry, always gloriously entertaining dialogue. The Condomines invite Madam Arcati, a medium, into their home so that Charles can pick up jargon for his latest book. Their friends, Dr and Mrs Bradman (Antony Gabriel and a splendidly edgy performance from Joanne Redman) are also there to take part in the table turning (literally), but neither they, nor Charles' wife, Ruth, can see the too successful result as Elvira, Charles' dead ex-wife, returns from the spirit world to cause hilarious havoc. Could anyone match Margaret Rutherford's wonderful portrayal of the eccentric, cycling Madam Arcati who yearns for ectoplasm and goes into ecstasies on hearing she has conjured up the ghost of Elvira? Yes they could. Claire Vousden, last seen at The Watermill in Black Comedy, bounded about the excellent set with high-spirited, hockey-stick enthusiasm. Collapsing into a trance, knocking back the drink or conducting the séance, she was terrific. As the hapless Condomines, Charles (Hywel Morgan) and Ruth (Caitlin Mottram) made use of every action and word so excellently that the play zipped along keeping the audience on their toes so as not to miss the many gems in their dialogue. Dressed magnificently ethereally in cobwebby, floating robe, the flighty, mischievous ghost Elvira (Kelly Williams) also has her share of unmissable lines. It is worth the ticket price alone to hear her speaking disdainfully to Charles of the non-delights of their honeymoon in Budleigh Salterton - where an orchestra was playing Merrie England they recalled - and of a past lover who treated her well - "he was in the cavalry you know." Finally, there was the maid, Edith (Emily Wachter). Clever direction by Orla O'Loughlin extended this comparatively minor, though vital, part into sheer comedy which made her every appearance an absolute joy. Too often turned into an overlong production by amateur societies, the professionals on and off stage at The Watermill showed how it should be done - and did it superbly. CAROLINE FRANKLIN

There are reviews in What's On Stage ("sprightly, elegant revival... Claire Vousden is a wonderfully earnest delight"), Reviews Gate ("the actors ruthlessly ride over laughs as they keep things moving at all costs... all this energy and movement does not quite substitute for lightness of touch and good humour"), The Oxford Times ("the star is Emily Wachter, playing Edith the maid... brilliant").

Reviews in the Archive

A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice (March 2009)
Life X 3 (January 2009)
Matilda and Duffy's Stupendous Space Adventure (November 2008)
The Sirens' Call (November 2008)
Our Country's Good (September 2008)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of The Recruiting Officer (October 2008)
Sunset Boulevard (July 2008)
Boxford Masques - Knight and Day (July 2008)
Black Comedy and The Bowmans (May 2008)
London Assurance (April 2008)
Micky Salberg's Crystal Ballroom Dance Band (April 2008 and on tour)
Great West Road (March 2008)
Merrily We Roll Along (March 2008)
Honk! (November 2007)
Rope (September 2007)
Martin Guerre (July 2007)
Twelfth Night (June 2007)
The Story of a Great Lady (April and September 2007, and on tour)
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (April 2007)
For Services Rendered (March 2007)
Plunder (January 2007)
The Snow Queen (November 2006)
Peter Pan in Scarlet (October 2006)
The Taming of the Shrew (September 2006 and on tour in 2007)
Hot Mikado (July 2006)
Boxford Masques: The Crowning of the Year (July 2006)
Hobson's Choice (May 2006)
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (April 2006)
Tartuffe (February 2006)
The Jungle Book (November 2005)
The Gilded Lilies (October 2005)
Copenhagen (September 2005)
The Garden of Llangoed (September 2005 and September 2006)
Thieves' Carnival (July 2005)
The Shed (July 2005)
Mack and Mabel (May 2005)
The Odyssey (May 2005)
Broken Glass (April 2005)
The Winter's Tale (January 2005)
Arabian Nights (December 2004)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of Whose Life is it Anyway? (November 2004)
Multiplex (November 2004)
Neville's Island (September 2004)
The Comedian (September 2004 and March 2005)
Raising Voices Again (September 2004)
Pinafore Swing (July 2004)
The Venetian Twins (May 2004)
The Gentleman from Olmedo (April 2004)
Mr & Mrs Schultz (March 2004 and on tour)
Sweeney Todd (February 2004)
The Emperor and the Nightingale (November 2003)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of An Ideal Husband (November 2003)
A Star Danced (September 2003)
The Fourth Fold (September 2003)
The Last Days of the Empire (July 2003)
Accelerate (July 2003)
Dreams from a Summer House (May 2003)
The Triumph of Love (April 2003)
Gigolo (March 2003)
Raising Voices (March 2003)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (February 2003)
The Firebird (November 2002)
Ten Cents a Dance (September 2002)
Dancing at Lughnasa (July 2002)
Love in a Maze (June 2002)
Fiddler on the Roof (April 2002)
I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls (March 2002 and March 2006)
Only a Matter of Time (February 2002)
Cinderella and the Enchanted Slipper (November 2001)
Piaf (October 2001)
The Merchant of Venice (October 2001)
Witch (September 2001)
The Clandestine Marriage (August 2001)
The Importance of Being Earnest (May 2001)
Gondoliers (March 2001)
Rose Rage (February 2001)
Carmen (July 2000)