About us

The Watermill Theatre is a unique producing powerhouse of residential and artistic facilities which provide a crucible for creativity, innovative storytelling, and artistic excellence. 

The Watermill’s mission is to make theatre that is surprising, inventive, and exciting and to enable access for everyone. A hallmark of its work is the artistry of actor-musicianship, in both new writing and reinvigorated classics. The theatre nurtures and celebrates talent and creativity in its company, community, and in the wider sector and it holds wellbeing, equity, and sustainability at the heart of its culture.

The Watermill Theatre is a small but mighty 200-seat theatre, set in idyllic gardens and nestled on the banks of the river Lambourn in rural West Berkshire, southeast England.

In 2026, the Watermill was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Theatre of the Year’ jointly with the Royal Court, by The Stage. This award, recognising excellence in British theatre, comes just two years after the Watermill Theatre was named Theatre of the Year at the Stage Awards in 2024, marking an exceptional period of sustained national recognition, in the wake of the loss of full Arts Council funding in 2022. The Watermill Theatre was the recipient of the 2025 UK Theatre Award for ‘Best Musical Production’ for their summer production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Described as “innovative”, “thrilling” and “emotional” across a string of five-star reviews, this immersive production spilled out of the intimate theatre into the gardens, drawing audiences into the heart of the epic musical. Our Joint Chief Executives, Paul Hart and Claire Murray, are featured in The Stage 100 in 2026, which marks their third consecutive inclusion in the annual listings recognising the most influential people in the UK Theatre industry. 

We reach far beyond the 200 seats in our auditorium, with our productions regularly transfer to the West End or tour the UK and internationally, including Fanny, Calamity Jane, Spike, Bleak Expectations, Amelie the Musical, Tell Me on a Sunday, and Crazy for You. The Watermill’s multi award-winning production of The Lord of the Rings subsequently transferred to Chicago, Auckland, and Australia (tour), and this year, the Watermill’s production of Barnum is on a major tour across the UK.

With a core belief in the transformative power of the arts, the Watermill Theatre also runs a comprehensive outreach programme, working with children and young people, those from low-income backgrounds, and isolated or displaced communities.