What a week!

10 March 2011

The Watermill’s been buzzing over the last few days and we’re very fortunate, amidst everything that’s been going on, to have had some very high profile people giving their time to raise money for theatre. On Friday, Alan Titchmarsh, charmed us with anecdotes, readings and gardening tips as our most recent ‘An audience with…’ guest. Saturday morning, whilst our Junior Youth Theatre met in the Lily Pond and Sackler Studio, The Quarter Too Ensemble were performing their own quirky interpretation of Jack & The Beanstalk and Goldilocks & The Three Bears to a young audience in the theatre. A quick turn around and then the matinee and evening performance of our current show, Alan Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking. And so to Sunday and the theatre turned into a cinema with the showing of a very early John Schlesinger film, Black Legend, the story of Combe Gibbet at Inkpen on the Berkshire borders. Many of the show’s stars came along, including actor Robert Hardy, who had been a student with Schlesinger. He was interviewed by journalist and presenter Jon Snow. Both gave their time freely and it turned into a very special evening with a great atmosphere. A day’s respite on Monday (apart from the evening show of course!) and on Tuesday best-selling author Joanna Trollope spoke to a packed house about her latest novel and her experience of writing. Wednesday morning – whilst the Sackler Studio was full of toddlers and mum’s enjoying Waterminis sessions, a rather more sedate social bridge lunch took place in the restaurant. Phew! A pat on the back to our restaurant team who served no-end of meals over the last few days and our hard-working chefs Grahame and Lee, and of course our production team and our front of house team, including many volunteer ushers.