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Read MoreMurder Before Evensong
A Watermill Theatre Production
Watermill Theatre Announces World Premiere Of Murder Before Evensong.
Based On the Novel by Reverend Richard Coles
Adapted By Paul Hart and Shaun Mckenna
Friday 25 September – Saturday 14 November
Book Online at Watermill.Org.Uk Or Via The Box Office On 01635 4604
Joint CEOs, Artistic Director Paul Hart and Executive Director Claire Murray, and the whole team at Newbury’s award-winning Watermill Theatre are delighted to announce a brand new show for autumn 2026 with the world premiere stage adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles’ bestselling mystery novel Murder Before Evensong, playing from Friday 25 September – Saturday 14 November, with a national press night on Tuesday 29 September.
Based on the novel by Reverend Richard Coles, Murder Before Evensong has been adapted for stage by Paul Hart and Shaun McKenna – who were behind the multi-award winning 2023 production of The Lord of the Rings.
Full casting and creative team will be announced in due course.
Sometimes we must adapt or die…
In 1988, the postcard-perfect village of Champton is centred around St Mary’s Church, where traditions, rituals and long-held relationships shape everyday life.
The parish is a tightly-knit community, full of familiar faces and quietly simmering rivalries.
At its heart are Canon Daniel Clement, his formidable and ever-watchful mother Audrey, and his actor brother Theo.
When a shocking murder shatters Champton’s quiet routines, the calm surface of village life begins to crack as suspicion spreads and long-buried secrets rise to the surface.
With the police searching for answers and fear rippling through the parish, Daniel finds himself drawn into a dangerous investigation.
As he begins to piece together clues, motives and hidden histories, a darker truth about the village slowly comes to light.
Set against the rhythms of church life, Murder Before Evensong is a gripping new stage adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles’ bestselling mystery.
As the bodies mount and the past refuses to stay buried, Daniel must hold his fractured community together… and uncover the killer in their midst.
Don’t miss this thrilling world premiere – where every pew holds a secret, and anyone could be guilty of murder.
An Audience with Richard Coles
Richard Coles will be in conversation at the Watermill during the run of Murder Before Evensong in an Audience with Richard Coles on Friday 16 October 2026 at 2.30pm.
This is an opportunity to hear about his inspiration for his bestselling novel Murder Before Evensong, how he captures the essence of quintessential English village life in his fiction, and how he leads his hero Daniel Clement to capture a killer.
There will also be a book-signing after the event with a selection of books available to buy on the day.
All profits from An Audience with Richard Coles will go towards supporting the Watermill Theatre with their ongoing work, both on and off the stage.
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The Watermill Theatre
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 2024, the Watermill was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Theatre of the Year’ jointly with the National Theatre.
This award, recognising excellence in British theatre, was bestowed on the Watermill Theatre for its continued ambition as an independent charity, and the success of their 2023 production of The Lord of the Rings.
This multi award-winning production, the Watermill’s most ambitious to date, has subsequently transferred to Chicago, Auckland, and Australia (tour) before it returns to the UK in October 2025.
Reaching far beyond the 200 seats in its auditorium, the Watermill’s productions regularly transfer to the West End or tour the UK and internationally, including Calamity Jane, Spike, Bleak Expectations, Amelie the Musical, Tell Me on a Sunday, and Crazy for You.
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.
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