LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD and More Set for The Watermill Theatre Spring 2026 Lineup

Newbury’s Watermill Theatre has revealed details of the first productions of 2026, as well as the second year of the theatre’s Artist Development Programme, Elemental.

A Watermill Theatre and Theatre by the Lake co-production, in association with Hammerpuzzle Theatre Company, Lark Rise to Candleford, written and composed byTamsin Kennard, directed by Bryn Holding and based on the book by Flora Thompson opens on Friday 6 February and runs until Saturday 14 March, with a national press performance on Tuesday 10 February.

This is a memory. It’s also a story. The story of a girl called Laura. 

Surrounded by golden fields and tinkling brooks, time trickles in the hamlet of Lark Rise. A home, for Laura and her loving family, in their snug, thatched cottage.  But, with the gentle rhythm of the changing seasons, her heart yearns for something else, something more. 

When the long-promised trip over to Candleford finally comes, Laura discovers a world beyond Lark Rise, beyond the pages of her beloved books. A world which moves to a different beat, full of new characters and new opportunities.  Striving to find her place, to rewrite her future, a new chapter for Laura begins.

Woven together with original music performed by an ensemble cast, this new version of Lark Rise to Candleford tells a story of cherished memories, finding your wings and the threads that bind us to home.

Joint CEO and Artistic Director of the Watermill Theatre Paul Hart said “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Theatre by the Lake, on this most glorious of rural titles. Working with Bryn Holding, Tamsin Kennard and the team on bringing this elegiac and earthy story to life has already been a great pleasure and I can’t wait to see how the piece develops in these two unique theatres. I’m one of many who enjoyed settling in on Sunday night to enjoy the nostalgia of the TV series and have loved returning to Flora Thompson's novel where there’s so much richness to be discovered in a theatrical version.”

Julia Samuels, Artistic Director (maternity cover) of Theatre by the Lake added, "We are excited to be creating this imaginative new production of Lark Rise to Candleford with such brilliant partners and creative team members. It's a beautiful story, embedded in the English countryside - and both the Watermill and Theatre by the Lake feel like perfect settings for this atmospheric tale"

From the Watermill Theatre Youth Ensemble, a new adaptation of Swallows & Amazons, based on the original novel by Arthur Ransome, will be written by Coco Cottam playing from Thursday 19 March – Saturday 21 March. Joining Coco Cottam will be Heidi Bird as director and Emily King as set and Costume Designer. The Watermill Youth Ensemble is made up of the young people who are part of the venue’s Youth Theatre groups, aged between 11-25 with both on and off-stage roles. This year, the Watermill’s Young Creatives will work closely with Emily King to help shape the design for the production.  Young Creatives is part of Careers through the Arts, run in partnership with Corn Exchange Newbury, supported by Greenham Trust. 

Set sail with the Walkers for Wild Cat Island, where the adventures are daring and the schemes bold. A fierce rivalry with the Blacketts turns to fragile allegiance, in an epic battle against the mysterious Captain Flint and a race to discover the truth about the missing treasure.

Transforming the everyday into a world of extraordinary adventure, this new Watermill Theatre Youth Ensemble production celebrates the boundless possibilities of play and imagination – proof that sometimes the greatest voyages begin at home.

The Watermill Theatre will be hosting a Family Fun Day for Swallows & Amazons onWednesday 18 February, with craft activities, youth theatre tasters, and storytelling sessions.

Two Halves of Guinness will open its UK tour at the Watermill, where it will run from Thursday 29 January – Saturday 31 January. Sir Alec Guinness’ commanding performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars secured his fame for future generations. Two Halves of Guinness reveals a mysterious life story worthy of the darkest Ealing Comedies, revisiting his most memorable characters and encountering a galaxy of stars along the way.Zeb Soanes (Classic FM, BBC Radio 4) stars as ‘Alec Guinness’ in a play written by Mark Burgess, directed by Selina Cadell (Eddie Izzard's Great Expectations, Hamlet; Miles Jupp in The Life I Lead), and produced by Julian Bird for Green Room Ents.

Applications are now open for the next instalment of the Watermill Theatre’s Artist Development programme, Elemental, which will offer four early career creatives the chance to develop expertise in their chosen discipline, build industry knowledge and fuel personal development and practise at the Watermill. Elemental is part of the Watermill Theatre’s ongoing commitment to creating long-term, meaningful investment in artists and creatives. Starting in January 2026, successful applicants will be offered the opportunity to work on shows across the year. Last year's cohort worked on shows across the season, includingThe Autobiography of a Cad, The King's Speech, Pinocchio, Piaf and Jesus Christ Superstar. 

Elemental 2026 has been made possible thanks to funding from: Garrick Charitable Trust, Noel Coward Foundation, The Fenton Arts Trust, and generous donations from 100 individuals.

Claire Murray said, “Collaboration and our commitment to nurturing and investing in talent are at the heart of the work we’re announcing today. We’re delighted to welcome Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes to open his one-man show, Two Halves of Guinness, here before it goes on to tour the UK, and it’s wonderful to be partnering for the first time with our friends at Theatre by the Lake to bring Lark Rise to Candleford to our respective stages alongside the team at Hammerpuzzle. Swallows and Amazons will be brought to brilliant life by our talented youth ensemble, with participants taking roles on and off-stage, including the delivery of integrated BSL interpretation, captioning and audio description.

We’re also launching the second year of our Elemental Artist Development programme which is possible thanks to funding from a range of sources, and which will make a difference to four emerging artists by investing in the development of their practice and hands-on experience in designing, directing, sound, lighting or choreography.”