Watermill Theatre's fundraising musical ends sell-out run

More than 17,000 tickets were sold for the 12-week run

A musical production, aimed at saving a theatre that lost its arts funding, closed on Sunday after a sell-out run.

The Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Berkshire, launched its version of Lord of the Rings in July to raise funds after losing its Arts Council support.

The venue said it sold more than 17,000 tickets for the 12-week run with almost half bought by first-time visitors.

Executive director Claire Murray said its success had allowed the theatre to "look to the future with confidence".

The arts space lost £464,000 of funding last year.

The show was performed across two stages - one in the auditorium and one in the gardens

Executive director Claire Murray said: "Despite a 100% cut to our funding, we are committed to creating world class productions and engaging with our communities in ways that have the greatest impact on their quality of life.

"As we move forward without statutory funding, it's vital that we explore how we can grow our income and reach more people.

"This is the beginning of a new chapter for The Watermill, and I'm pleased to say the success of The Lord of The Rings and the support we've had from audiences over these last few months, allows us to make exciting plans and look to the future with confidence."

The immersive production was performed across two stages - one in the auditorium and one in the gardens - and has been the theatre's largest-scale production to date.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].