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The Great Britain Guide

Theatres · South East England

Watermill Theatre

♿ Wheelchair accessible4.8 · 1,199 Google reviews

Watermill Theatre is a theatre in the United Kingdom.

Watermill Theatre, theatres in South East England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Newbury · 3.4 km
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

Watermill Theatre is a working theatre in the United Kingdom, listed in OpenStreetMap as a public performance venue. Address: RG20 8AE. Coordinates: 51.4213°, -1.3525°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

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. The theatre has become recognised in particular for its focus on actor-musician led productions, and for focusing on accessibility within theatre. 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.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Lambourn SSSI
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Kennet SSSI
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Wessex Downs

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

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. The theatre has become recognised in particular for its focus on actor-musician led productions, and for focusing on accessibility within theatre. 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. In 2024 the Watermill Theatre jointly won Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The theatre is situated in Bagnor Mill, a former corn mill on the River Lambourn in Bagnor, Berkshire. 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. In 1967 the theatre was expanded with the addition of a fly system and lighting control, In 1971, the auditorium was rebuilt to allow a capacity of 170. 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…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4213, -1.3525
Parish
Speen
Postcode
RG20 8AE
Parliamentary constituency
Newbury
Phone
+44 1635 45834;+44 1635 46044
Established
1967
Nearest railway station
Newbury3.4 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Watermill Theatre?
Watermill Theatre is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG20 8AE), in the parish of Speen.
What is Watermill Theatre?
Watermill Theatre is a theatre in the United Kingdom.
How do I get to Watermill Theatre?
The nearest railway station is Newbury, about 3.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode RG20 8AE.
When was Watermill Theatre built?
Built or established in 1967.
Who owns Watermill Theatre?
Watermill Theatre is owned by |operator =.
Is Watermill Theatre a listed building?
Watermill Theatre is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
Is Watermill Theatre a protected site?
Yes — Watermill Theatre is part of the River Lambourn SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Kennet SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
How do I get to Watermill Theatre?
The nearest railway station is Newbury, about 3.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG20 8AE.