Watermill Theatre to Dedicate Summer Musical
As The Watermill Theatre gears up for its Summer Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the team announce that the production will be dedicated to Chris Boulton, the Chief Executive of Greenham Trust who passed away earlier this year, and celebrates the wealth of local support that is powering this epic summer adventure.
During Chris’ time at Greenham Trust, he supported the theatre both professionally and personally.
This included large-scale outdoor performances for hundreds of community participants; a fully accessible strand of the Watermill’s outreach provision helping everyone to engage with the arts, and Careers through the Arts (in partnership with the Corn Exchange) which encourages and enables young people to develop life-long, transferrable skills through the creative arts.
Following Greenham Trust’s support of Jesus Christ Superstar last year, Chris supported the Watermill to secure a grant in support of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, enabling the theatre to offer 6 local primary schools a series of bespoke workshops and contributing to a production which features 26 local children along with 16 actors, five of whom are embarking on their first major professional production since graduating.
Artistic Director Paul Hart commented
“Chris was a man with a zest for life and an ability to use his expertise and passion to help realise great, transformative projects, so dedicating this production – full of ambition, hope and love, feels perfectly fitting. We’re enormously grateful to him and to the whole team at Greenham who have enabled us to invest in both the talent on our stage and in our schools this year.”
Outreach Director Heidi Bird added
“Chris brought kindness, joy, and generosity to us all. We hold very fond memories of our time together, from early morning interviews at Kennet Radio to dancing at awards ceremonies and viewing his beautiful artwork. Chris had an undeniable, infectious passion for life. We will honour his legacy by keeping his energy at the core of our work, continuing to support the community he served for so many years.”
This year’s musical extravaganza features 16 multi-talented performers, five of whom are recent graduates supported by Greenham Trust; 26 local children including 4 teams of Jeremy and Jemimas; pack of puppet dogs; 370m of bunting, lovingly made by an army of local sewers and, of course, one magical car!
The production is sponsored by two local companies: Chester Rose Financial Planning and Horsey Lightly Solicitors.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang also offers a range of access services across the run, including a relaxed performance, BSL interpretation, audio description, captioning, and the theatre’s first dementia friendly performance.
The Watermill is delighted to be working alongside local organisations on this performance, including Berkshire Age UK and the Dementia Café in Hungerford.
Claire Murray commented “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is going to be an epic adventure and it’s all being made possible thanks to the hard work, talent and generosity of our local community. From Greenham Trust’s support of our work in local schools, to 40 volunteer bunters who have helped to bring our fairground to life; from two local sponsors and a small group of donors who have joined us for this magical ride, to the 26 families who are supporting their children to be part of the adventure, this show is born of our brilliant communities. A perfect way to honour Chris Boulton’s legacy.”
Tickets for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are on sale now at www.watermill.org.uk
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang runs from 26 May to 13 September.
TITLE: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
DATES: Tuesday 26 May to Sunday 13 September 2026
PRESS NIGHT: Thursday 4 June @ 7pm
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: Tuesday – Saturday @ 7.30pm, Wednesday @ 1.30pm until 24 June (schools’ matinees) Thursday @ 2.30pm from 2 July, Saturday and Sunday @ 2.30pm
Audio Described, Closed Captioned, BSL interpreted, Relaxed and Dementia Friendly Performances are scheduled. Check website for details.
VENUE: Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 8AE
BOX OFFICE: 01635 46044
watermill.org.uk
AGE GUIDANCE: This production is recommended as most suitable for those aged 5 and over.
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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