The Mill at Sonning has unveiled its full 2027 season, led by the world premiere of The Island, a new musical adaptation of Victoria Hislop’s internationally bestselling novel.
The production will be staged as an actor-musician musical and directed by Joseph Pitcher, who previously helmed the venue’s award-winning production of Gypsy and its recent revival of My Fair Lady.
Set against the backdrop of Crete, The Island tells a story of love, family, resilience and hope. The production is being developed with ambitions beyond its Sonning run, with hopes for a UK tour in 2028 and eventual West End and Broadway productions.
The announcement was made during The Mill’s season launch event, which featured a recorded message from Victoria Hislop and a live performance of “End of the World” from the musical by Gabriella Garcia.
The new musical forms the centrepiece of a season that also includes Jeeves and Wooster: A Perfect Nonsense, Neil Simon’s I Ought To Be In Pictures, Peter Colley’s I’ll Be Back Before Midnight and Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate.
Co-Artistic Director Sally Hughes said: “The 2027 season reflects everything we want The Mill to be: warm, entertaining, ambitious and full of exceptional storytelling. We are especially proud to be announcing two musicals next year, including The Island, which represents a major step forward for The Mill as a producer.”
Co-Artistic Director Adam Rolston said: “The Island is not a project we see stopping at The Mill. We believe this piece has the potential to travel far beyond Sonning, and our ambition is a UK tour in 2028. It is a bold aim, but The Mill’s first successful touring experience with Death Comes to Pemberley in 2025 showed us what is possible. A year ago we were talking about survival. Now we are talking about growth, national reach and long-term ambition. That is a remarkable shift, and it has only been possible because of the loyalty of our members, audiences and supporters.”
The season opens with Jeeves and Wooster: A Perfect Nonsense from 4 February to 21 March, directed by Sally Hughes, followed by I Ought To Be In Pictures from 8 April to 23 May, starring real-life father and daughter Bob Barrett and Francesca Barrett.
The Island runs from 10 June to 15 August, before Peter Colley’s thriller I’ll Be Back Before Midnight arrives from 9 September to 31 October.
The year concludes with Kiss Me, Kate, running from 19 November 2027 to 19 January 2028.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
