Watermill Theatre announces 2026 summer musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

It has been announced today that The Watermill Theatre’s 2026 summer musical will be a brand-new production of the family classic CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, playing from 26 May-13 September.

With music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams, and based on the MGM motion picture, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be directed by Paul Hart, with the Watermill’s signature storytelling, inventiveness and actor-musicianship at its heart.

This new production will feature classic songs played live by an ensemble cast, including ‘Truly Scrumptious’, ‘Hushabye Mountain’, and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’.

The creative team will include set and costume designer Katie Lias, musical supervisor and orchestrator Stuart Morley, choreographer Anjali Mehra, puppet designer, maker and director Marc Parrett, and lighting designer Jai Morjaria, with further creatives and casting to be announced in the spring.

Following three consecutive sell-out and critically acclaimed summer musicals — The Lord of the Rings, Barnum, and Jesus Christ Superstar — the last of which is one of the most successful productions in the Watermill’s history and won the prestigious 2025 UK Theatre Award for ‘Best Musical Production’ - the Watermill will once again transform its beautiful theatre and gardens into a spectacular world of music, magic and imagination.

Paul Hart said: “We are beyond thrilled to announce we will be staging one of the greatest pieces of musical theatre ever made in a version unlike anything seen before. We’ll be giving audiences the opportunity to step inside the creative mind of Caractacus Potts who sets out to do the impossible and create a flying car for his beloved children. How the hell are they going to do that at the Watermill? All will be revealed…”

The Watermill Theatre is also launching a search for young performers to join the company of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The theatre is seeking local young people to play Jeremy, Jemima and the children of Vulgaria, with all applicants required to have unbroken voices and live within one hour of Newbury. For the roles of Jeremy and Jemima, the young people must be aged between 9 and 12 and under 4’7”. All other young people must be aged between 9 and 14. First-round auditions will take place by self-taped video submission, with selected candidates invited to in-person recalls at the Watermill on 18 January 2026. Applications close at 9am on 11 December. Full details and guidance are available here.

Tickets for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang go on general sale on 8 January here.