Newbury's Watermill theatre opens auditorium for first time in 9 months

As another summer outdoor season draws to a close, The Watermill's artistic director Paul Hart and his team have today announced the first details of the autumn season, as it reopens its auditorium for the first time in nearly nine months.

Paul Hart said: “It’s a symbolic moment to be able to welcome audiences back inside our beautiful auditorium after such a long hiatus and another successful outdoor summer season. Our staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to find inventive ways of creating work for audiences and I’m so thrilled to be reopening with the return of Lone Flyer which audiences were enjoying hugely before the run was cut short last year. We cannot wait to welcome you back.”

Lone Flyer, a powerful drama about one of Britain’s greatest female pilots, will return to the Bagnor theatre from Friday, September 10 to Saturday, September 25. Hannah Edwards and Benedict Salter will reprise their original roles, with Hannah playing Amy Johnson and Benedict supporting her playing a series of other male roles.

Since its forced closure at The Watermill in November 2020 due to the autumn lockdown, it played at the Jermyn Street Theatre as part of their Footprints Festival, achieving five Off West End Nominations for Best Production, Sound Design, Director, Leading Performance and Supporting Performance. Lone Flyer is co-produced with Hull Truck Theatre.

For audience members who would feel more comfortable to attend a performance with more space between themselves and other audience members there will be two socially distanced performances each week during the run.

Sir David Suchet makes his eagerly awaited return to UK stages in Poirot and More, A Retrospective this autumn, following a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in early 2020. Launching the tour at The Watermill from Tuesday, October 5 – Thursday, October 7, David will retrace his steps as a young actor, visiting more than 20 theatres across the UK. Sir David Suchet performed at The Watermill early in his career and is a longstanding supporter and patron of the theatre

Little Women, a brand-new one-woman take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel will then come to The Watermill for three performances only, from Friday, October 8 – Saturday, October 9. One actress. One musician. One enchanting new adaptation.

To help audience members to book with confidence, The Watermill are operating a flexible booking policy. In the event that their booking is affected by Covid-19, audience members will be offered a ticket exchange, account credit or refund.

Further details of the autumn season will be announced in September.