The Watermill fights on
One of the first theatres in the country to reopen last summer
WHERE better to stage the world premiere of a play which takes place in a pretty village with a river and willow trees than The Watermill theatre in Bagnor? The Wicker Husband, was an evening of pure delight, full of songs, dance, action and emotion, wrote N2 reviewer Caroline Franklin on the first edition of the paper after lockdown March 26. But this great musical production was forced to close by Covid-19 just six days into run.
Upcoming productions, one-off performances and all other events until June were cancelled.
Ticket sales being vital to The Watermill’s existence, cancelling performances had a huge impact and supporters were asked to donate the value of the cancelled ticket or make a one-off donation, to help the theatre face forthcoming challenges.
The Watermill burst back to life once restrictions relaxed, with a limited summer season of live performances in their gardens, in August, starting with a socially distanced Sherlock Holmes spoof, followed by a concert performance of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelota. The Hound of the Baskervilles was written, rehearsed and on stage in two weeks and – one of the first theatres in the country to reopen, playing to sell-out audiences. The audience were seated at 20 tables, each within a socially-distanced bubble, and a Perspex screen allowed the actors to perform closer together. “What a delight to be able to return to The Watermill theatre following months of lockdown. The auditorium is of course closed, so the performance is taking place in the beautiful gardens – and what a wonderful setting... a joy to watch,” wrote N2 reviewer Robin Strapp.
The Watermill has faced a real challenge to stay afloat. The Bagnor theatre didn’t qualify for the lifeline £1.5bn Government Culture Recovery Funding grants, but the auditorium re-opened on September 22 with a socially distanced one-man show, Bloodshot, the first of three planned autumn season productions, featuring smaller cast sizes, reduced capacity inside the auditorium and socially distanced seating.
Another huge blow came in November following the Government’s announcement of a second national lockdown. The theatre had to close again, further performances of Lone Flyer and A Christmas Carol – just two weeks into its run – were cancelled.
Launching major fundraising FULL HOUSE appeal in October to enable it to continue creating ambitious and exciting theatre for audiences of all ages once lockdown restrictions are lifted, artistic and executive director Paul Hart said: “There is no doubt that this has been a difficult year, but we are proud that since March 17, when we first closed our doors, we have engaged with 1,774 people through our online outreach and education workshops, created four brand new productions (two of which were outdoors) and presented 103 performances where we have welcomed back 3,389 audience members to enjoy live theatre, both inside and out.
“We could not have done this without the support we have received from our incredible audience members and local community and we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has played a part in helping to sustain The Watermill theatre during this challenging time.
“The response from audiences has been fantastic and the uplifting effect of our work has made us even more determined to get back up and running again after this next period of lockdown.”
The have been brilliant at reacting to events in this extraordinary year and have helped us get the word out as to how we’re all coping throughout the pandemic and celebrating the moments of light when we’ve been able to reopen. That connection to local people and audiences has never been more crucial and we’re extremely grateful for this continued support.
Artistic and executive director Paul Hart
NWN
Unfortunately, operating under the socially distanced restrictions the theatre is only able to sell approximately 37 per cent of the seats in the auditorium – it usually aims to reach in excess of 80 per cent capacity to break-even.
“From the feedback we have received already, the uplifting effect that live theatre has on audiences is clear and we are determined to continue creating ambitious and exciting theatre for people of all ages to enjoy, but operating at such a reduced capacity involves a high level of financial risk.”
In this uncertainty, the future of our much-loved theatre remains precarious.