Putting on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Watermill theatre are currently in the midst of opening Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, directed by their Artistic Director, Paul Hart.
This production brings together the actor-musicianship that has long been at the heart of the Watermill’s work, alongside the kind of ambitious storytelling that feels especially fitting as they continue their year as The Stage’s ‘Theatre of the Year’.
It has, of course, taken a great deal to reach this moment.
The work of producing a show often begins months, or even years, before a company gathers in a rehearsal room, with rights, budgets and schedules all carefully put in place.
But for them, this journey began in earnest with a series of workshops in December 2025 and January 2026 – one of which involved the brilliant third-year students at Rose Bruford College – where they began to explore the design of the car itself alongside the orchestrations that help her come alive.
From January onwards, their focus turned to casting, including of their young performers.
Following hundreds of impressive submissions and an in-depth workshop audition process, they are delighted to have assembled a remarkable group of 26 young people who will share the various roles.
Alongside this, they cast their adult company, including large-scale dance auditions to find five recent graduates to complete their ensemble.
Their involvement has been generously supported by the Greenham Trust and, for most, Chitty marks their professional debut.
And so, they arrive at this point with a company of close to 100 freelance artists, spanning cast, creatives, stage management, technicians, chaperones, makers, programmers, engineers, builders and more, supported by the many dedicated colleagues within the permanent Watermill team who make a production of this scale possible.
As they  prepare to welcome audiences, both their indoor and outdoor spaces have been given an exciting transformation for the summer, creating a vibrant and immersive environment to complement the production.Â
They look forward to sharing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with you very soon and are deeply grateful, as always, for your continued support.
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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.Â
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. Â
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.Â
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