Craig Revel Horwood News

From the moment the cast of twelve actor/musicians step out onto Diego Pitarch's atmospheric set, which draws its focus from a central black spiral staircase, and begin to play the strains of Andrew Lloyd Webber's haunting musical prologue for Sunset Boulevard, the audience at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury are drawn into a dark, yet richly evocative world that captivates the mind and thrills the senses throughout.

Newbury's Watermill Theatre will present Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard.' Kathryn Evans will star as silent film star Norma Desmond and Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood will direct.

Flamenco Flamen'ka, a new dance show directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, will open for an eight-week season at the West End's Lyric Theatre from 22 September to 15 November 2008 (previews from 18 September).

From the second that the new Watermill theatre production of 'Martin Guerre' begins through to its final chilling note, the audience is totally captivated in the atmosphere of a spine-tingling dramatic and musical world that represents all that is best in musical theatre. In the Watermill's intimate space - with the aid of Diego Pitarch's highly effective set, Richard G. Jones's evocative and atmospheric lighting and Sarah Travis's beautifully crafted orchestrations - a group of 12 talented actor-musicians under the masterful direction of Craig Revel Horwood succeed in not only telling a story that tears everyone's emotions apart but also in creating a musical sound that is quite beautiful throughout.

My Land's Shore, with music by Christopher J. Orton and book and lyrics by Orton and Robert Gould, will receive its world concert premiere at the Gate Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, from August 3rd through 5th.

Australian-born actor/singer Andrew Bevis will play the title role of Martin Guerre in Craig Revel-Horwood's re-invention of the Boublil and Schonberg musical at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury from July 11 to September 1. Having begun his career as a musician and musical director, Bevis first gained attention down under as a musical theatre performer when he was cast in a revival of 'Hello Dolly', playing alongside Warren Mitchell and the grande dame of Australian musical theatre, Jill Perryman. In the West End he played star-crossed lover Romeo in the ill-fated Gerard Presgurvic/Don Black musical 'Romeo and Juliet', Marius in 'Les Miserables' and wowed audiences as the 'chick with a dick' in 'Jerry Springer, the Opera'.

This summer the Watermill Theatre in Newbury will revisit the Boublil/Schonberg musical, 'Martin Guerre', which will play from July 11 to September 1. The show will be directed by Craig Revel-Horwood, who was at the helm of last summer's critically acclaimed staging of 'The Hot Mikado' in Newbury. Musical direction will be handled by Tony award winner, Sarah Travis, who - along with former Watermill guru, John Doyle - pioneered the actor/singer/musician style of musical theatre at the Watermill, notably with the production of Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd', which eventually found its way to Broadway in 2005.

In the wake of the sad news concerning the fate of the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden, it is cheering to read in the theatre's January newsletter that the necessary funds have now been raised to save the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. Backed by a loan of £750,000 from the Boris Karloff Foundation, the Board of Directors were able to meet their deadline and commit to purchasing the theatre. In addition, over 2,600 donors assisted in raising £1,77000 in just 18 months. Richard Price, Chairman of the Board, said: 'We are hugely grateful to all those generous people who have supported the Save The Watermill appeal.' With the future of the theatre secured, the Board's efforts will now be poured into raising the remaining funds needed for essential renovations and improvements to the premises, which will commence in April 2007.