ONE of the most famous actors in the land paid a visit to Newbury earlier this month to champion a theatre.
Dame Judi Dench shared her love of Shakespeare during an in conversation event with Brenden O’Hea, held at The Watermill Theatre.
The event saw Dame Judi give an insight into her career, sharing Shakespearean stories and anecdotes against the backdrop of the theatre’s 2024 Shakespeare production, Much Ado About Nothing.
She also spent time with the acting company, hearing about their experiences and sharing her own insights and stories.
The event was sold out, and raised £20,000 for the theatre’s work with communities.
The amount raised will be subject to match funding from the Watermill Funding Alliance, meaning every £1 raised through ticket sales and donations will be quadrupled.
This Funding Alliance brings together Greenham Trust, Bernard Sunley Foundation, Englefield Charitable Trust and Miss Lawrence Trust via The Good Exchange.
The Watermill’s artistic director, Paul Hart, said: “We were delighted to welcome Dame Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea to the Watermill Theatre.
“It’s so generous of them to give up their time to support our fundraising following a complete cut to our Arts Council grant.
“It was particularly fitting that Judi came and spoke about her career of performing Shakespeare on the set of our current production of Much Ado about Nothing. Her recent book highlights the importance of regional theatre in giving opportunities to actors of all ages but particularly to young performers.”
He added: “So many actors have gone on to great things having had early opportunities at the Watermill including Ncuti Gatwa, Johnny Flynn even Sean Bean.
“And that’s not to mention all the people working backstage and in our creative teams.
“Judi and Brendan have long been supporters of the work at The Watermill, and their help has come at an invaluable time for us as we continue to navigate the future without any statutory funding.”
This was echoed by Claire Murray, The Watermill’s executive director, who said: “We are indebted to Dame Judi and Brendan for providing this fantastic boost to our fundraising, and to our partners in the Greenham Trust Funding Alliance who have pledged to match every penny we raised.
“Dame Judi is such a passionate advocate for the arts, for the importance of introducing young people to Shakespeare and for the value of regional theatre.
“The funds raised through this event will help us to continue to create the work that she, and we, believe in so passionately.”
