The Watermill Theatre has announced its 2027 season, celebrating 60 years with a mix of returning favourites and new productions. Highlights include Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, and the world premiere of Enigma.

The 60th anniversary season at the Watermill Theatre opens with Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s The Wipers Times, directed by Caroline Leslie, running from 29 January to 6 March. The comedy returns to the venue ten years after its 2016 premiere, following three national tours and two West End runs.

From 11 to 13 March, the Watermill Youth Ensemble will present a new adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, adapted and directed by Matty Green. This production commemorates 40 years of the theatre’s Youth Theatre and will showcase actor-musicianship, a hallmark of the ensemble’s style.

Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem returns from 19 March to 24 April, in association with Fiery Angel. The production, co-directed by the Watermill’s artistic director Paul Hart and Georgie Staight, is based on Lisa Blair’s 2018 staging and is set within ten miles of the theatre.

Alan Ayckbourn’s Way Upstream will be performed outdoors on the Watermill’s riverside setting, directed by Katie Posner. This staging will integrate the theatre’s surroundings, placing the production literally on and around the water.

Carousel will be staged over the summer with a new orchestral adaptation by Stuart Morley for actor-musicians, featuring choreography by Anjali Mehra. The production will highlight music and dance across the theatre and its grounds and includes a collaboration with domestic abuse charity Project Salama to examine the story of Billy and Julie.

The autumn season features the world premiere of Enigma, adapted by Mike Poulton from Robert Harris’ bestselling novel, and co-commissioned by Chichester Festival Theatre. Directed by Paul Hart, the thriller follows codebreaker Tom Jericho investigating a disappearance at Bletchley Park.

The anniversary year will close with a new adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Beauty and the Beast by Tatty Hennessy, directed by Indiana Lown-Collins. The production, suitable for audiences aged four and over, will feature a folk-inspired score.

Additional casting, creative team details, and specific dates for these productions will be announced separately. The theatre will also introduce a Community Collective project involving local groups with limited cultural access, collaborating with professional writers and theatre-makers.

To support its creative and inclusivity initiatives and preserve the historic venue, the Watermill will launch Creative Futures, aiming to raise £60,000 throughout 2027. The Watermill Theatre, founded in 1965 in a converted 1830s corn mill, has a notable history including productions by Propeller, an actor-musician Sweeney Todd, and The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale with international reach.