BRIEF ENCOUNTER and THE JUNGLE BOOK Complete Autumn Season at The Watermill

Artistic Director Paul Hart and the team at Newbury's The Watermill Theatre have announced the final details of the 2021 autumn season, with performances scheduled through to the end of the year. These shows will follow the previously announced productions of LONE FLYER (10 - 25 September), POIROT AND ME (5 - 7 October) and LITTLE WOMEN (8 - 9 October).

BRIEF ENCOUNTER, a new production of Emma Rice's stage adaptation of Noël Coward's epic love story, based on the critically acclaimed 1945 film, will play at the Watermill from Thursday 14 October - Saturday 13 November, with a press night on Monday 18 October. BRIEF ENCOUNTER will be directed by Robert Kirby, with design by Harry Pizzey, Movement by Anjali Mehra, compositions and arrangements by Eamonn O'Dwyer and Lighting by Ali Hunter. Full creative team and casting will be announced shortly.

A chance meeting between Laura and Alec in a train station tearoom leads to an impossible love affair. Engulfed by a sea of emotions, will they be swept ashore together, or will the tides of change pull them apart?

Based on the critically acclaimed film, Noël Coward's timeless tale of happiness and heartache is reimagined for the stage in a dazzling new production of this epic love story. With music and movement to make your heart soar, this playful and inventive production will take you by the hand and whisk you on a journey through all of love's beautiful complications.

THE JUNGLE BOOK - originally scheduled for Christmas 2020, and then postponed - will play this year from Thursday 18 November until Friday 31 December. Directed by Tom Jackson Greaves, full casting and creative team will be announced later in the autumn. There will be two separate press performances for The Jungle Book, both on Saturday 20 November, with the matinee at full capacity, and the evening show socially distanced.

In the depths of the Indian rainforest a child is abandoned with no possessions, no family and no home. Under the light of the full moon, the infant is discovered by a pack of wolves who decide to raise him as one of their own.

When the ferocious tiger Shere Khan comes looking for prey, the child - Mowgli - is swept to safety by a friendly bear and a wise black panther. Together they teach him the laws of the jungle. Years later, Shere Khan returns and demands the 'man cub' leave the jungle forever. Mowgli faces a choice... should he stay and risk further destruction? Or should he leave and accept that the home he knows isn't the right place for him after all?

A wild and captivating musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale full of warmth, laughter and wonder. Join Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, King Louie and more as The Watermill Theatre is transformed into the Indian jungle for the adventure of a lifetime.

For audience members who would feel more comfortable to attend a performance with more space between themselves and other audience members there will be socially distanced performances each week during the run of both BRIEF ENCOUNTER and THE JUNGLE BOOK.

The Watermill continues to follow measures to control the risk of Covid-19. The wearing of face coverings continues to be strongly encouraged. Enhanced cleaning procedures, including regular fogging of the auditorium, and an efficient ventilation system supplying conditioned and filtered fresh air also remain in place.

To help audience members to book with confidence, The Watermill are operating a flexible booking policy. In the event that their booking is affected by Covid-19, audience members will be offered a ticket exchange, account credit or refund.

Paul Hart said, "This autumn season, as we move back inside, is all about theatricality at its most playful and inventive. I've loved Emma Rice's adaptation of Brief Encounter for such a long time and can't wait to bring it to the Watermill stage. And I'm so delighted that we can finally share our new production of Jungle Book which will be a treat for all ages. We will continue to offer some socially distanced performances alongside full capacity for these shows and I can't wait to welcome audiences back into the theatre."

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