A WATERMILL THEATRE PRODUCTION
CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR
A NEW ADAPTATION BY ROB MADGE
FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER
BASED ON THE PLAY BY BRANDON THOMAS
DIRECTED BY SOPHIE DRAKE
BOOK ONLINE AT WATERMILL.ORG.UK OR VIA THE BOX OFFICE ON
01635 46044
Joint CEOs Artistic Director Paul Hart and Executive Director Claire Murray, and the whole team at Newbury’s Watermill Theatre are delighted to announce the creative team for Rob Madge’s brand-new adaptation of Charley’s Aunt, a Watermill Theatre production playing from Friday 3 October to Saturday 15 November.
Following the acclaimed UK tour and New York transfer of My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), as well as their performance as Emcee in Cabaret, theatre maker, writer and actor Rob Madge adapts a dazzling new take on this much-loved farce. Reimagined with a sprinkling of queer joy, this new production proudly celebrates new identities and true identities, with a lot of laughs along the way.
Charley’s Aunt will be directed by Sophie Drake with Set & Costume Design by Alex Berry, Lighting Design from Ben Jacobs and the score will be composed by Lauryn Redding who is returning to the Watermill after her composition work on Three Hens in a Boat.
Cast to be announced soon.
Rob Madge said: “I am thrilled to be adapting Brandon Thomas’ hysterical play for the Watermill. It already has all the ingredients of a classic farce – star crossed lovers, mistaken identities, belly laughs galore – so we are very lucky to have that as a foundation. It’s been my job to bring it bang up to date, whilst retaining the integrity of the original – don’t worry, we are still setting the piece firmly in Victorian England but there might be one or two surprises along the way. I can guarantee a night of laughs, joy and PRIDE! Hope you can come to the party!”
Director Sophie Drake said, “I’m delighted to be directing Rob Madge’s audacious reimagining of Charley’s Aunt at the Watermill this autumn. Farce is able to expose the masks we wear – of class, gender, decorum – with surprising clarity, and Rob’s adaptation allows us to witness the absurdity of such practices. This adaptation honours Brandon Thomas’ original structure while reframing it through a contemporary, queer lens, allowing the story’s deeper resonances to emerge without losing its sense of play. We’ve kept the period setting but allowed theatricality to take centre stage: pop music, eclectic and vibrant design all serve the sharp comedy and heighten the emotional truths beneath the artifice. The Watermill’s intimate space is the perfect home for a play in which the line between performance and reality blurs, where what begins as chaos slowly reveals something tender, political, and unmistakably human. I can’t wait to share it with audiences.”
As part of a partnership with Newbury Pride, Watermill Theatre will be hosting their first Come As You Are Night, which will take place on Monday 27 October ahead of the evening’s performance, inviting guests to attend as their most comfortable self for drinks and nibbles from 6pm. There will be individual bathrooms open before and after the evening’s performance offering everyone the opportunity to get changed should they wish.
For more information on Newbury Pride, please visit: newburypride.org.uk
Instagram: newburypride
Tickets for Charley’s Aunt are available at watermill.org.uk/events/charleys-aunt or by calling the box office on 01635 46044. Tickets for ages 16-30 are discounted to £10 for Mon-Wed performances (band D) when joining the Watermill’s 16-30: Beginners scheme.