Watermill Theatre

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The Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury, RG20 8AE.
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The King's Speech, 20th September to 2nd November
Imagine being faced with the biggest moment of your life, and you cannot find your voice. The weight of the nation sits on your shoulders as you assume a role bound by duty and your family is in crisis. Your only hope lies in someone from the opposite side of the world, in geography, stature and convention. This new production of David Seidler’s play The King’s Speech takes an intimate view of one of life’s most unorthodox relationships between Bertie, the soon-to-be-crowned King George VI, and speech therapist Lionel Logue. As Hitler’s threat on Europe encroaches, Bertie fights his own battle to overcome his speech impediment at the time his country needs him most. See the reviews below.

Pinocchio, 15th November to 5th January
This Christmas, the most famous puppet the world has ever known is coming to the Watermill Theatre in this brand-new musical adaptation of Pinocchio. Lovingly carved in Gepetto’s workshop, Pinocchio’s parents dream of a bright future for their wooden son. Pinocchio, however, dreams of adventure and sets off on a path of fun and freedom ready to discover the world. Along the way, Pinocchio is confronted with big decisions and a menagerie of colourful characters, leading to calamitous consequences as he starts a fire, turns into a donkey, and even ends up inside a whale! With courage, heart, and a sprinkling of magic, Pinocchio celebrates what it means to grow up; the mistakes we make, the lessons we learn and the power of unconditional love.

Reviews of The King's Speech

20th September to 2nd November 2024

Review from Newbury Theatre.

When King George V died, his elder son David became King Edward VIII.

The wireless had become an important method of mass communication, which filled David’s brother Bertie with dread as he had always had a problem with a stammer. His wife Elizabeth had persuaded him to meet Lionel Logue, an Australian who had a reputation as someone who could cure stammering. The meeting didn’t go well – Logue was easy-going and informal, Bertie was reluctant to ditch class barriers and protocol, insisting that Logue keep a distance of five paces away.

Despite Bertie’s temper, things improved but having to speak in pubic was still a huge problem for him.

On Edward’s abdication, Bertie reluctantly had to take over as George VI. His treatment continued and Bertie and Logue became friends. “What are friends for?” asked Logue. “I wouldn’t know”, Bertie replied. You get the impression that neither had many friends, but they were well supported by their wives.

As Bertie, Peter Sandys-Clarke gave a commanding performance, bringing out his vulnerability as well as his drive to fix the problem. The stammer was well controlled and not overplayed. Arthur Hughes as Lionel was the perfect foil to Bertie, their differences providing humour and tension as they worked towards his important first radio speech after Chamberlain’s declaration of war.

Jim Kitson was an irascible George V and excelled as Churchill, getting the voice just right. Aamira Challenger as Bertie’s wife Elizabeth gave him the support and encouragement he needed.

Christopher Naylor played the scheming Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, trying to get Bertie to be treated by someone better qualified than Logue.

Rosa Hesmondhalgh had two very different roles as Lionel’s wife Myrtle, eager for them to return to Perth – they never did – and David’s wife Wallis Simpson. The parallels with Harry and Megan were inescapable.

Stephen Rahman-Hughes played David – a thoroughly unpleasant character, looking down on and teasing Bertie – and Stanley Baldwin.

Directed by Emma Butler, this was a moving, well-acted and very enjoyable production.

PAUL SHAVE

Review from the British Theatre Guide and the Newbury Weekly News.

David Seidler’s play The King’s Speech is totally engaging. It’s set in the 1930s when the country is on the brink of war with Germany and in political chaos. Bretta Gerecke's gorgeous design perfectly reflects the period with dark wooden planks that fill the stage, and every inch of the Watermill’s stage is creatively used.

The monarchy is in disarray; King George V has died, conveniently in time for his death announcement to appear in the morning edition of The Times. Jim Kitson portrays the pompous King and also gives a commanding performance as Winston Churchill.

The King’s heir, Edward VIII (Stephen Rahman-Hughes), totally captures his playboy style. He causes a constitutional crisis when he announces that he’s going to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson (Rosa Hesmondalgh) and is forced to abdicate.

Consequently, the throne passes to his younger brother. Peter Sandys-Clarke gives an impeccable performance as Bertie, who has suffered from a stammer since a boy and the thought of giving public speeches horrifies him, especially since it’s now broadcasted through the invention of radio.

As a last resort, his wife Elizabeth (Aamira Challenger) seeks help from an Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, outstandingly played by Arthur Hughes, to help Bertie overcome his impediment.

The nub of the play is the relationship between these two men of very different classes, and the chemistry between them is electric. Lionel’s unconventional approach in convincing Bertie that he “has a voice that needs to be heard” is painstakingly unfolded. He wanted to be an actor but had little success in his quest to achieve this.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang (Christopher Naylor), discovers that Lionel has no academic qualifications and accuses him of being a fraud, but Bertie dismisses this claim and continues with his huge personal challenge to deliver his radio broadcast on the outbreak of WWII live on the BBC.

Emma Butler’s impressive direction is pin-sharp and is complemented by Robin Colyer’s powerful sound design and Ryan Day’s emotive lighting.

This is a moving, astute production that is simply unmissable.

ROBN STRAPP

There are reviews from Wokingham Today ("beautiful acting, atmospheric set design and masterful direction"); West End Best Friend ("exceptionally strong performances... a well rounded piece of theatre with a powerful message" ★★★★); thespyinthestalls.com ("an intimate and touching story of deepening friendship... this wonderful revival is a delight" ★★★★); WhatsOnStage ("a superb cast... sensitive, vigorous direction" ★★★★); Marlborough News ("heart-felt and thought provoking drama... magnificent... don't miss it"); The Stage ("modest yet moving" - ★★★).

Reviews in the Archive

Barnum (July 2024)
Fanny (May 2024)
Much Ado About Nothing (April 2024)
Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood (February 2024)
The Wizard of Oz (November 2023)
Macbeth (October 2023)
The Lord of the Rings (July 2023)
Mansfield Park (June 2023)
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (May 2023)
Visitors (March 2023)
Notes from a Small Island (February 2023)
Rapunzel (November 2022)
The Sleeping Sword (October 2022)
Othello (September 2022)
Whistle Down the Wind (July 2022)
Camp Albion (July 2022)
Bleak Expectations (May 2022)
Our Man in Havana (April 2022)
Spike (January 2022)
The Wicker Husband (March 2022)
The Jungle Book (November 2021)
Brief Encounter (October 2021)
Just So (July 2021)
As You Like It (June 2021)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (May and August 2021)
A Christmas Carol (December 2020)
Lone Flyer (October 2020)
Bloodshot (September 2020)
Camelot (August 2020)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (July 2020)
The Wicker Husband (March 2020)
The Prince and the Pauper (November 2019)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (February 2020)
One Million Tiny Plays About Britain (February 2020)
Assassins (September 2019)
Kiss Me, Kate (July 2019)
Our Church (June 2019)
The Importance of Being Earnest (May 2019)
Amélie (April 2019)
Macbeth (February 2019)
Robin Hood (November 2018)
Murder For Two (January 2019)
Jane Eyre (October 2018)
Trial by Laughter (September 2018)
Sweet Charity (July 2018)
Jerusalem (June 2018)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (May 2018)
Burke and Hare (April 2018 and on tour)
Digging For Victory Senior Youth Theatre (March 2018)
The Rivals (March 2018)
Teddy (January 2018)
The Borrowers (November 2017)
Under Milk Wood (October 2017)
Loot (September 2017)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (September 2017 and on tour)
A Little Night Music (July 2017)
All at Sea! (July 2017)
The Miller's Child (July 2017)
Nesting (July 2017 and on tour)
House and Garden (May 2017)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of Maskerade (May 2016)
Twelfth Night (April 2017)
Faust x2 (March 2017)
Murder For Two (January 2017)
Sleeping Beauty (November 2016)
Frankenstein (October 2016)
The Wipers Times (September 2016)
Crazy For You (July 2016)
Watership Down (June 2016)
Untold Stories (May 2016)
See the Box Theatre Company review of The Sea (April 2016)
One Million Tiny Plays About Britain (April 2016 and on tour)
Romeo and Juliet (February 2016)
Tell Me on a Sunday (January 2016)
Alice in Wonderland (November 2015)
Gormenghast (November 2015) - see the Youth page
The Ladykillers (September 2015)
Oliver! (July 2015)
A Little History of the World (July 2015 and on tour)
Between the Lines (July 2015)
The Deep Blue Sea (June 2015)
Far From the Madding Crowd (April 2015)
Tuxedo Junction (March 2015)
The Secret Adversary (February 2015)
Peter Pan (November 2014)
But First This (October 2014)
Twelfth Night (November 2014) - see the Youth page
Journey's End (September 2014)
Calamity Jane (July 2014)
The Boxford Masques - Joe Soap's Masquerade (July 2014)
Hardboiled - the Fall of Sam Shadow (July 2014)
A Bunch of Amateurs (May 2014)
See the Box Theatre Company review of The Canterbury Tales (May 2014)
Sense and Sensibility (April 2014)
Life Lessons (March 2014)
All My Sons (February 2014)
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (January 2014)
Pinocchio (November 2013)
Sherlock's Last Case (September 2013)
Romeo+Juliet (September 2013 and on tour)
The Witches of Eastwick (July 2013)
Laurel & Hardy (June 2013)
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (May 2013)
The Miser (April 2013)
David Copperfield (March 2013)
Sleuth (February 2013)
Arabian Nights (November 2012)
The Tempest (September 2012)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (August 2012)
Boxford Masques (July 2012)
Ben Hur (June 2012)
Of Mice and Men (May 2012)
Love on the Tracks (April 2012 and on tour)
Henry V and The Winter's Tale (April 2012)
Lettice and Lovage (February 2012)
The Wind in the Willows (November 2011)
Some Like It Hotter (November 2011 and on tour)
Great Expectations (September 2011)
Radio Times (August 2011)
The Marriage of Figaro (July 2011)
Moonlight and Magnolias (May 2011)
Richard III and The Comedy of Errors (April 2011)
The Clodly Light Opera and Drama Society (March 2011)
Relatively Speaking (February 2011)
Treasure Island (November 2010)
Single Spies (September 2010)
Copacabana (July 2010)
Daisy Pulls It Off (June 2010)
Brontë (April 2010)
Raising Voices (March 2010)
Confused Love (March 2010)
Heroes (February 2010)
James and the Giant Peach (November 2009)
Educating Rita (October 2009)
Spend Spend Spend! (July 2009 and September 2010)
Blithe Spirit (May 2009)
Bubbles (April to May and September to October 2009)
A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice (March 2009)
Life X 3 (January 2009)
Matilda and Duffy's Stupendous Space Adventure (November 2008)
The Sirens' Call (November 2008)
Our Country's Good (September 2008)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of The Recruiting Officer (October 2008)
Sunset Boulevard (July 2008)
Boxford Masques - Knight and Day (July 2008)
Black Comedy and The Bowmans (May 2008)
London Assurance (April 2008)
Micky Salberg's Crystal Ballroom Dance Band (April 2008 and on tour)
Great West Road (March 2008)
Merrily We Roll Along (March 2008)
Honk! (November 2007)
Rope (September 2007)
Martin Guerre (July 2007)
Twelfth Night (June 2007)
The Story of a Great Lady (April and September 2007, and on tour)
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (April 2007)
For Services Rendered (March 2007)
Plunder (January 2007)
The Snow Queen (November 2006)
Peter Pan in Scarlet (October 2006)
The Taming of the Shrew (September 2006 and on tour in 2007)
Hot Mikado (July 2006 and September 2009)
Boxford Masques: The Crowning of the Year (July 2006)
Hobson's Choice (May 2006)
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (April 2006)
Tartuffe (February 2006)
The Jungle Book (November 2005)
The Gilded Lilies (October 2005)
Copenhagen (September 2005)
The Garden of Llangoed (September 2005 and September 2006)
Thieves' Carnival (July 2005)
The Shed (July 2005)
Mack and Mabel (May 2005)
The Odyssey (May 2005)
Broken Glass (April 2005)
The Winter's Tale (January 2005)
Arabian Nights (December 2004)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of Whose Life is it Anyway? (November 2004)
Multiplex (November 2004)
Neville's Island (September 2004)
The Comedian (September 2004 and March 2005)
Raising Voices Again (September 2004)
Pinafore Swing (July 2004)
The Venetian Twins (May 2004)
The Gentleman from Olmedo (April 2004)
Mr & Mrs Schultz (March 2004 and on tour)
Sweeney Todd (February 2004)
The Emperor and the Nightingale (November 2003)
See Newbury Dramatic Society for a review of An Ideal Husband (November 2003)
A Star Danced (September 2003)
The Fourth Fold (September 2003)
The Last Days of the Empire (July 2003)
Accelerate (July 2003)
Dreams from a Summer House (May 2003)
The Triumph of Love (April 2003)
Gigolo (March 2003)
Raising Voices (March 2003)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (February 2003)
The Firebird (November 2002)
Ten Cents a Dance (September 2002)
Dancing at Lughnasa (July 2002)
Love in a Maze (June 2002)
Fiddler on the Roof (April 2002)
I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls (March 2002 and March 2006)
Only a Matter of Time (February 2002)
Cinderella and the Enchanted Slipper (November 2001)
Piaf (October 2001)
The Merchant of Venice (October 2001)
Witch (September 2001)
The Clandestine Marriage (August 2001)
The Importance of Being Earnest (May 2001)
Gondoliers (March 2001)
Rose Rage (February 2001)
Carmen (July 2000)