Watermill to stage 'semi-immersive' Jesus Christ Superstar this summer

An actor-musician revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and a new adaptation from performer and writer Rob Madge are to feature as part of the Watermill Theatre’s 2025 season.

From June 24 to September 21, the Newbury venue will mount Jesus Christ Superstar in a show promising music played live onstage in a "semi-immersive" production.

Featuring set and costume design by David Woodhead, choreography by Anjali Mehra, and musical supervision and orchestration by Stuart Morley, the show will "spill out of the theatre" and into its gardens, led by a cast of actor-musicians.

Meanwhile, Rob Madge’s adaptation of three-act farce Charley’s Aunt is to be directed by Sophie Drake in a run playing from October 3 to November 15.

The Watermill will mark the festive season with another new adaptation in the form of The Little Mermaid, by Lara Barbier.

Directed by Elgiva Field and featuring folk-inspired songs by Amie Parsons, the production runs from November 26 to January 4.

Paul Hart said: "This summer at the Watermill is going to be bigger than ever with our new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s going to be really special for audiences to experience this legendary musical in the intimate setting of the Watermill, with music played live onstage and a semi-immersive staging which will spill out of the theatre into the gardens."

"We have expanded the run to 100 performances this year to ensure more people than ever have a chance to book for an unforgettable summer musical following our recent sell-out shows," Hart continued.

The artistic director meanwhile called Madge’s take on Brandon Thomas’ play, Charley’s Aunt, a "twenty-first century" version "more celebratory than ever of the themes of self-discovery and gender identity".

Hart concluded: "This Christmas, we have a brilliant creative collaboration for The Little Mermaid with Elgiva Field directing, Lara Barbier writing the adaptation and Amie Parsons of Cornish folk band, True Foxes, writing the songs. This will be the perfect follow up to last year’s Pinocchio."