Watermill Theatre to host world premiere of Victoria: A Queen Unbound, penned by novelist and TV series creator Daisy Goodwin

The Watermill Theatre has announced the world premiere of Victoria: A Queen Unbound by Daisy Goodwin – writer of the Victoria novel and creator of the hit TV series.

Set at Osborne House in 1901, Victoria: A Queen Unbound focuses on Queen Victoria in the final days of her reign as she reflects on her life through her diaries. The play introduces an encounter between the older monarch and her younger self, while revisiting Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert, examining the personal cost of a relationship that, in popular culture, is often presented as an idealised historical romance.

Goodwin described the play as a “brand-new take on a familiar theme”, adding: “When Albert died, Victoria said that he had done everything for her, ‘he even used to choose my bonnets’. That sentence got me thinking about their relationship. What kind of man picks out his wife’s hats, and why would any woman, let alone a Queen, allow her husband to choose her clothes? It made me wonder if Victoria’s diaries might be the work of an unreliable narrator.”

The show will run at the Newbury venue from Friday 27 March to Saturday 9 May, with a national press night on Tuesday 31 March.

The production is written by Goodwin, while the creative team includes director Sophie Drake, returning to the Watermill after Charley’s Aunt, alongside set and costume designer Alex Berry and lighting designer Ben Jacobs, who also return to the venue. Sound designer and composer Asaf Zohar makes his Watermill debut. Casting is yet to be announced. The production is presented in arrangement with Theatre Global.

Artistic director and joint chief executive Paul Hart said today: “Victoria: A Queen Unbound takes a look at one of the most famous relationships in history and takes us behind the veil as to what makes these extraordinary people tick. It’s an unflinching and deeply fascinating look at how a legacy is shaped and the joy, pain and manipulation of love. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Daisy who knows more about this subject than anyone and to be staging the world premiere of this piece. We’re also thrilled to be welcoming back Sophie Drake after her recent production of Charley’s Aunt with us.”

The announcement follows the theatre being named Theatre of the Year at the 2026 Stage Awards, shared this year with the Royal Court Theatre.

As part of its wider 2026 programme, the Watermill has also confirmed the return of Pinocchio for the Christmas season, running from Wednesday 25 November to Sunday 3 January 2027.