The Mill At Sonning has confirmed dates for its eagerly-awaited re-opening season of in-house productions after receiving a ‘life-saving’ grant of £448,550 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
Announcing a 2021/2022 season at the distinctive Thameside venue that includes a new stage version of the classic 1935 film musical Top Hat, The Mill’s artistic director Sally Hughes said: “Everyone at The Mill is overjoyed to be in receipt of this fantastic grant. The next few months will be difficult to navigate through with all the Covid safety measures and only 50% capacity allowed.
“The Government’s furlough scheme has helped us through the past year. Now this grant allows us to move forward, open on May 17th and welcome back our audience with full confidence.”
Describing how The Mill has been adapted to enable the venue to adhere to social distancing safety requirements by reopening with a much-reduced capacity of 70 customers, Hughes added: “Our in-house master carpenter has built small tables that will slot over the empty seats. These can move depending on the size of each group and will be dressed with small lights, so the auditorium will look more like an intimate cabaret space than a traditional theatre. Call it ‘Las Vegas on Thames!!’.”
The 2021/2022 will reopen with the return director Robin Herford’s hit version of Alan Aykbourn’s Relatively Speaking. The production which had been playing to packed houses in March 2020 has been re-staged for its 11-week run in the new-look auditorium.
Director Jonathan O’Boyle’s production of Top Hat will be the final production of 2021. Following on from popular Christmas season productions of Guys and Dolls and an innovative version of Singin’ in the Rain, Top Hat will play its festive season from 18 October 2021 until 10 January 2022.
Featuring the timeless music of Irving Berlin and based on the screenplay by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott, the musical version of the much-loved RKO musical comedy features a book by Matthew White and Howard Jacques. The most successful film to feature the partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Top Hat tells the story of Broadway sensation Jerry Travers and his efforts to win the heart of society girl Dale Tremont.
Other highlights in The Mill’s reopening season will also include enthusiastic Mill supporter Ray Cooney’s Two Into One. Director Ron Aldridge’s production will run from 5 August until 9 October. In honour of the playwright described as The Mill’s ‘saviour’, a special gala performance of the comedy on 11 September will celebrate with the auditorium will be renamed in his honour.
Paying tribute during lockdown to the writer whose farces have been performed at the venue every year since the venue opened in 1982, Hughes said: “I owe the most enormous thank you to a very special man – the wonderful Ray Cooney. When we had to close down he was straight in there with financial aid. He has called me every week during the last five months to see how we are getting on.”
Another high-profile supporter of The Mill, Judi Dench will be joined by Simon Williams for the fundraiser An Afternoon with Dame Judi Dench & Simon Williams on 25 July and Just Williams featuring Simon’s son, Tam Williams and Dench’s daughter Finty Williams on 26 June.
Productions for 2022 will include contemporary supernatural thriller The House on Cold Hill and the Brian Blessed-directed whodunnit Busman’s Holiday.
Angela Thomas
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