Following its joint win with the National Theatre in 2024, the Watermill is recognised once again in the shortlist for Theatre of the Year 2026 Stage Awards, for their artistic excellence and transformative community impact.
The Watermill last received this honour in 2024, sharing the award with the National Theatre, a recognition that celebrated its remarkable ambition as an independent charity and the national and international success of productions originating at the venue, including The Lord of the Rings.
The Watermill, photo Eden Harrhy
This latest nomination reflects an exceptional year in which The Watermill delivered a rich, inventive and wide-ranging 2025 season.
Joint CEOs, artistic director Paul Hart and executive director Claire Murray said: “We are overjoyed to be nominated in The Stage Awards as Theatre of the Year!
“This year, thanks to support from our audiences, donors, sponsors and trusts, we’ve been able to bring new writing, reinvigorated classics and a brilliant new version of Jesus Christ Superstar to our stage.
“We’ve also continued to invest in our community by engaging with over 15,000 people through more than1000 sessions, and nurturing talent through both our Elemental and Careers in the Arts initiatives.
“This nomination is wonderful recognition for our hard-working permanent and freelance teams who have created magic at the Watermill this year.”
Paul Hart & Claire Murray
Last year’s festive show, Michael Morpurgo’s Pinocchio, which was listed in the Guardian’s Top 10 Theatre of 2024, was followed in January by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s Autobiography of a Cad. The Youth Ensemble brought a fresh perspective and integrated access practice to the stage with Emil and the Detectives, before the actor-musician staging of Piaf captivated audiences with its vibrant musicality. In spring, Three Hens in A Boat by Camille Ucan reimagined Jerome K Jerome’s comic classic, for an all-female company in a co-production with Reading Rep.
Summer saw a record-breaking revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, the third of the theatre’s epic summer musicals, which went on to win the UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production. Later in the year, Rob Madge’s new and joyously identity-positive adaptation of Charley’s Aunt delighted audiences, and The Little Mermaid is currently running as the theatre’s festive production, offering families a warm, music-filled reimagining of the Hans Christian Andersen tale.
Jesus Christ Superstar, pic: Pamela Raith Photography
Alongside its artistic achievements, The Watermill continues to expand the reach and depth of its community and outreach programmes. In 2025, the theatre delivered 99 access performances reaching 419 service users, held 1,010 outreach sessions attended by 15,551 participants, and offered 338 free sessions, providing 3,145 fully funded opportunities for children, young people and adults. Its Young Creatives programme supported emerging theatre-makers across disciplines including design, sound, writing and directing, ensuring that the next generation of artists has meaningful pathways into the industry.
Fundraising initiatives powered further access. The Geppetto’s Gift campaign enabled 400 children from low socio-economic backgrounds to attend Pinocchio, while the Spark campaign created 12 bursary places for Youth Theatre participants—offering a vital opportunity for those young people to become part of an inclusive community and developing skills and attributes though the experience. The Watermill also strengthened its commitment to inclusion through partnerships such as its Come As You Are Night with Newbury Pride during the run of Charley’s Aunt, inviting audiences to attend as their most authentic selves.
Professional development remained central to the theatre’s values: the Elemental programme continued to provide paid mentorship and hands-on experience for early-career artists, while support from the Greenham Trust enabled six recent graduates to gain experience as part of the Jesus Christ Superstar company, offering rare and invaluable industry experience at a crucial early stage in their careers.
The Stage Awards 2026, in association with Tysers Live, will take place on Monday, January 12, at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio in London.
