03 November 2020
Newsdesk
Following the Government's announcement on Saturday 31 October of a second national lockdown, sadly The Watermill Theatre and Restaurant will temporarily close from Thursday 5 November until further notice.
Performances of Lone Flyer from 5 - 21 November and A Christmas Carol from 26 November - 2 December are cancelled. Performances of Lone Flyer will continue this week until Wednesday 4 November with Covid-secure safety measures in place. Ticketholders for cancelled performances will be contacted directly by a member of the theatre’s Box Office team.
During the last few months, The Watermill has implemented measures to ensure the safety of audiences, performers and staff and was one of the first theatres in the country to reopen during the summer with a brand new comedy production of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The theatre plans to reopen once restrictions are lifted with a new festive retelling of A Christmas Carol during December. A revised schedule will be published once more information becomes available. They also hope to reschedule cancelled performances of Lone Flyer for the New Year.
Artistic and Executive Director, Paul Hart said:
“There is no doubt that this has been a difficult year, but we are proud that since 17 March, when we first closed our doors, we have engaged with 1774 people through our online outreach and education workshops, created 4 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 impact of cancelling performances and closing venues once again is a huge blow for the theatre industry and for audiences around the UK. The Watermill Theatre is seeking support through its FULL HOUSE appeal to enable it to continue creating ambitious and exciting theatre for audiences of all ages to enjoy once lockdown restrictions are lifted. For more information, please visit www.watermill.org.uk/full_house_appeal_at_the_watermill_theatre
