THE WATERMILL THEATRE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH KEVIN WALLACE FOR KWL & MIDDLE EARTH ENTERPRISES PRESENT
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
FULL CASTING AND CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED
25 JULY – 15 OCTOBER
BOOK ONLINE AT WATERMILL.ORG.UK OR VIA THE BOX OFFICE ON 01635 46044
Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre is thrilled to announce the full cast of their upcoming musical;
a brand-new production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, a musical tale based on the classic trilogy by
J.R.R. Tolkien, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and music by A.R.
Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Värttinä and Tony Award winner and Grammy nominated Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical).
With the production set across both the Watermill auditorium and gardens, audiences will be
immersed in the magical landscape of Middle-earth, joining an ensemble cast and large-scale
puppets on an epic journey celebrating the power of friendship and common goodness to conquer unimaginable evil.
The Lord of the Rings will play at the Watermill from Tuesday 25 July until Sunday 15 October 2023.
Tickets are on sale via www.watermill.org.uk/The-Lord-Of-The-Rings.
As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday, he gifts his nephew Frodo his
inheritance – including his most precious belonging – a gold ring. Little does he know that his legacy
will confront Frodo with an immense and impossible task; a perilous journey across the darkest
realms of Mordor to foil the Dark Lord’s quest for total dominion.
Paul Hart said, “Welcoming the cast and creative teams into rehearsals this week has been hugely
exciting. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most epic stories ever written, and our production will
hopefully bring audiences closer to the heart of this story than ever before – both figuratively and
literally in our intimate 200 seat theatre. What’s central to this production is that we’re telling it
through the perspective of the Hobbits and hopefully audiences will experience our depiction of Middle-earth with
the same awe and wonderment. We’re so fortunate to be working with an
incredible creative team and a truly multi-skilled group of performers and we’re determined to make
a piece of theatre that will live long in the memory of all who see it!”
Claire Murray said, “For twelve weeks, we are welcoming audiences to experience this incredible
musical in our very special corner of West Berkshire. We’re so excited to welcome new audiences to
the theatre, coming from far and wide to visit our beautiful grounds for the first time, as well as our
wonderful and loyal audiences who have visited us many times before, to see us using our space in a
new and exciting way. With the design of the show spilling out from the theatre across our gardens,
audiences will be welcomed into the Shire for dinner and drinks in our Restaurant or Garden Café on
the lawn, before joining in the celebrations for Bilbo’s birthday which marks the start of the show.
Any production is a team effort, and we’re so grateful to our wider community for their support,
particularly those who are so kindly hosting our thirty-strong company this summer, and all those
who are sharing in our excitement.”
The Watermill is a 200-seat regional powerhouse, with an unparalleled reputation for producing
bold, world-class theatre with local and national reach from its home in West Berkshire. It also has
an extensive programme of community outreach, and schools touring work, and a firm commitment
to inclusion, environmental sustainability and talent development.
