Berkshire's Watermill named theatre of the year
The tiny theatre near Newbury shares the award with the National theatre in London
A small theatre in west Berkshire has been named the UK's Theatre of the Year.
The title was given to the Watermill near Newbury at the Stage Awards.
Speaking about the accolade, Co Chief Executives Claire Murray and Paul Hart said:
"To win an award that celebrates the work we made in our first year without Arts Council funding feels amazing. It's testament to the hard work of the staff team, all the brilliant freelancers who have been part of our year and it's been made possible by a huge amount of support. We are grateful to have the spotlight on The Watermill, our tiny theatre that today stands alongside The National Theatre as a joint winner of Theatre of the Year.
"As we embarked on 2023, we wanted to produce a year that would share the joy of theatre and of our unique home with as many people as possible. We're so proud to have premiered Notes from a Small Island, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Mansfield Park (produced with Two Gents), a new version of Through The Looking Glass for Youth Theatre and of Macbeth that toured to schools and a new musical of The Wizard of Oz. In addition, bringing Barney Norris' beautiful play Visitors to our intimate stage, which touched the experience of so many audiences.
"The Lord of The Rings was the centre piece of our year, drawing 17,000 people to the world of the Shire to enjoy an epic story on an intimate scale told by an astonishing company of 20 actor musicians.
"And 2023 was also a year that saw our production of Bleak Expectations transferred to the West End for a 14-week run at the Criterion.
"We're proud to have navigated the first year without subsidy so successfully. We know there will be greater challenges ahead, but this award is a wonderful boost to our confidence giving us the recognition of the industry for the quality and ambition of our work.”
The Stage Awards highlight the achievements of theatre companies and individuals across the UK annually, and is voted for by a panel of industry experts. The Watermill will hold the prestigious title of Theatre of The Year for 2024, alongside the National Theatre.
The next production at The Watermill will be the world premiere of the electrifying new rock musical Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood, co-produced with Metta Theatre, opening this Friday 2 February. Further details of the rest of the year’s programme will be announced shortly.