Industry News: The Watermill Theatre Newbury appoints ATG exec to its board

The Watermill Theatre in Newbury is beefing up its board, with a high-profile new hire.

The Joint CEOs of the Watermill, Artistic Director Paul Hart and Executive Director Claire Murray, have announced that Michael Lynas, Chief Content and Creative Officer of ATG Entertainment, will become Chair of The Board.

They also announced that Caroline Barber, most recently General Counsel for The Old Vic, has joined as a trustee; and Katie Breathwick, TV and radio journalist including a presenter on Classic FM, has recently been appointed Vice Chair alongside her Trustee position.

Michael Lynas is Chief Content and Creative Officer of ATG Entertainment, leading an international team responsible for securing and delivering shows to the company’s 64 theatres in the UK, US and Europe. Michael has worked in the theatre industry for over 40 years. Before joining ATG, he worked as a producer and executive director at Richmond Theatre, at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End.

Earlier this month Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) rebranded to ATG Entertainment, led by new CEO Ted Stimpson. ATG are increasingly getting into production, feeding their portfolio of venues including a growing number in the US, such as recent comedy Plaza Suite starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London and now on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre, and through partners including West End and Broadway impresario Sonia Friedman (Stranger Things: The First Shadow).

Lynas joining the board is a good sign for The Watermill in terms of taking even more of its shows out to the world.

In November 2022 Arts Council England cut The Watermill’s National Portfolio funding – equating to a loss of £460k a year. The 200 seat theatre is now an independent charity without any statutory funding, so needs the revenues from transferring shows.

The Watermill was named Theatre of the Year at the 2024 Stage Awards alongside the National Theatre, and has become a high-profile UK venue. Its recent productions that have transferred out include Bleak Expectations, SPIKE, Amelie the Musical, Tell Me on a Sunday, Crazy for You, and the 2023 award-winning The Lord of the Rings, which will have its US premiere in 2024 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is now run by Edward Hall, former artistic director of Hampstead Theatre, and son of legendary director Peter Hall. In an interview in The Times this month Edward Hall lambasted Arts Council England (ACE) and said he was preferring to work in the subsidy-free American theatre world.

For Hall’s opening season, alongside a US transfer of The Watermill’s The Lord of the Rings, he is bringing over the RSC’s production of Pericles starring Alfred Enoch and directed by RSC Co-Artistic Director Tamara Harvey; and the West End hit Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon.

Michael Lynas said in a statement: “I’ve been visiting The Watermill for nearly forty years and have enjoyed countless adventurous and inspiring productions, as well as the unique atmosphere of the theatre and its surroundings. I am delighted to be joining the Board at this exciting time in its history when the theatre has been named Theatre of the Year and has just announced plans for the wonderful Lord of the Rings to go to Chicago.”

Claire Murray and Paul Hart (Joint Chief Executives) said: “We are delighted to welcome Caroline as a trustee and Michael as Chair of the Board, both of whom bring extensive experience of the sector and local connections that will be invaluable to The Watermill. Our trustees have been a huge source of advice and support over the last twelve months, helping us to develop our business model, ensure the preservation of our unique site and continue to pursue an ambitious programme of work on and off-stage. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Andrew McKenzie who, as Chair of the Board, has helped to steer the theatre through the challenges of the pandemic and the 100% cut to our funding by Arts Council England.”

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Main photo: The Watermill Theatre and ATG exec Michael Lynas