CAROUSEL announced as The Watermill Theatre’s 2027 summer musical
As part of the venue’s 60th anniversary year programme, The Watermill Theatre have announced that Carousel will be their summer musical for 2027, directed by Paul Hart.
Continuing the theatre’s approach of reinventing classic titles, this new production will reinvigorate this beloved musical, offering a dynamic new version, with music and dance spanning the theatre and grounds, in a new orchestral adaptation by Stuart Morley, created for actor musicians, and choreography by Anjali Mehra.
As part of bringing this celebrated musical to the stage, the team will also be collaborating with Project Salama, a domestic abuse charity, to explore the way the story of Billy and Julie is told in this production.
The anniversary season celebrates the distinctiveness of the Watermill’s work, revisiting productions, creative collaborations and forms of theatre-making that epitomise the theatre’s work, whilst continuing its long tradition of reinvention.
Also in the new season will be the return of Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s comedy The Wipers Times, directed by Caroline Leslie, ten years after the play first premiered at the Watermill in 2016; the Watermill Youth Ensemble celebrates the Watermill’s long relationship with Shakespeare with an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, adapted and directed by Matty Green; the Watermill will bring Jez Butterworth’s modern classic Jerusalem back to its stage, in association with Fiery Angel; Alan Ayckbourn’s Way Upstream will be reimagined in an ambitious new outdoor production that makes use of the Watermill’s unique setting; the autumn sees Enigma, Robert Harris' bestselling novel, newly adapted by dramatist Mike Poulton, directed by Paul Hart, and co-commissioned by Chichester Festival Theatre; and the anniversary year concludes at Christmas with the world premiere of a new adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Beauty and the Beast by Tatty Hennessy, directed by Indiana Lown-Collins.
Artistic Director Paul Hart and Executive Director Claire Murray said: “In planning for this year, we've tried to capture the essence of what is so special about the Watermill's work, both on and off stage. Both deeply rooted in our community and consistently reaching across the UK and the globe, in 2027 we hope to celebrate the distinctive quality of our work and to continue to connect with audiences, communities, creatives and artists in ways that make an important difference to their lives.
"We hope this season has something for everyone and offers a chance for our entire Watermill community to celebrate the incredible past and exciting future of this unique organisation.”
Full casting and further creative team details for each production will be announced separately.
Tickets for The Wipers Times, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, and Jerusalem will go on general on sale on 30 October.