The Watermill Theatre has revealed the company for the world premiere of Murder Before Evensong, a stage adaptation of Richard Coles’s novel. The production promises a compelling murder mystery set in a small English village and opens in September 2026.

Murder Before Evensong, adapted by Watermill Theatre’s joint CEO and artistic director Paul Hart alongside Shaun McKenna, will premiere in the venue’s upcoming season. The story unfolds in 1988 in the village of Champton, where life revolves around St Mary’s Church.

The plot centres on canon Daniel Clement, his mother Audrey, and brother Theo, as a murder disrupts the parish’s peaceful routines. As suspicion spreads among the village residents, Daniel becomes entangled in the investigation and uncovers hidden secrets.

The cast for the production features Ajani Cabey, Ian Hallard, and Caroline Gruber in leading roles. Headshots for the actors have been provided but remain uncredited publicly.

Hart, who co-wrote the adaptation, will also direct the production. This marks a continuing collaboration between Hart and McKenna, who previously worked together on the 2023 production of The Lord of the Rings for the same theatre.

Performances of Murder Before Evensong are scheduled to run from 25 September to 14 November 2026. Due to strong demand, the theatre has already added two additional performances to the original schedule.

The adaptation’s focus on community upheaval following a murder invites comparisons to classic British village mysteries, exploring the interplay of faith, family, and suspicion within rural life.

As the Watermill Theatre brings this new dramatization to its stage, it adds to a growing trend of novel adaptations drawing on British literary works to produce intimate, character-driven narratives.