Rhys Jennings bookwriter for The Wicker Husband at The Watermill

Musical Theatre
Writer


After opening AND closing on the night the theatres shut due to the pandemic, The Wicker Husband is back at The Watermill Theatre. What a journey! We are overjoyed that this beautiful show is back and thrilled for the wonder that is the bookwriter, Rhys Jennings.

Ostracised by shallow townsfolk because she doesn’t fit in, the Ugly Girl becomes the envy of her neighbours when the mysterious Old Basketmaker makes her a strong and loving husband woven from living wicker. As bitter rivalry and jealousy threaten to tear the community apart, the townsfolk embark on a cruel and destructive plan. Will the Ugly Girl’s happiness be ruined forever?

Based on the short story by Ursula Wills-Jones.

DEVELOPMENT Timeline
2008 – 2011
Rhys discovers Ursula Wills’ original short story The Wicker Husband, published online in a short story archive. Eventually, in September 2011, he reaches out to Ursula by email for her permission to adapt it for the theatre.
October 2011
Rhys shares the story with director and dramaturg Charlotte (Charlie) Westenra. Her response:

“The Wicker Husband is wonderful. I’d be much more interested in working on that than some crusty old greek nonsense… don’t you think it should be a musical?”
October 2013
Rhys tells composer Darren Clark about The Wicker Husband at the Rusty Bicycle pub in Oxford. On October 23rd Darren send Rhys a message:

“What a fantastic story. I think you’re right in that this would make a wonderful play and I can hear songs in the telling of it already….”
Darren Clark – Website
November 2013
Darren and Rhys meet to play through early song ideas and discuss story beats.
2013-2014
Darren and Rhys start plotting and planning. They put in several funding applications which are rejected.
June 2014
Rhys reignites Charlie’s interest in the project and invites her to join the creative process. They make plans for Arts Council applications and other schemes.
May 2015
Purni Morrell at The Unicorn Theatre offers space in the Judi Dench studio for one week to explore some early ideas for the show.

Over the course of one week, the creative team work with a diverse range of actors, dancers, musicians, singers, designers, puppeteers exploring early material.
December 2015 & January 2016
A series of developmental workshops at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama focussing on material for Act 1, featuring Ellie Pawsey in the lead role of Ugly Girl.
24 January 2016
The team launch a crowdfund which raises £5550.00 with the support of 268 backers to support development of the piece.
May 2016
A workshop at Guildhall School with their acting students workshopping material for Act 2.
15 May 2016
Rhys and Darren become the inaugural winners of the MTI Stiles and Drewe Mentorship Award for The Wicker Husband.

They are the recipients of a year of developmental support including a writing retreat, two progress labs and a full industry showcase.
February 2017
Workshopping musical ideas fro The Wicker husband with students at Trinity Laban
13th April 2017
The Wicker Husband industry showcase at The Other Palace Theatre in London. The full musical is shared for the first time as a script in hand performance starring Tyrone Huntley, Clive Rowe, Rebecca Trehearne, Sebastian Torkia and more…
June 2018
The Wicker Husband was selected as 1 of 8 international musicals (out of 223 entries) to be presented at the 30th Annual NAMT Feastival of New Musicals in New York.
25 & 26 October 2018
NAMT Presentation

March 2020
World Premiere production of The Wicker Husband opens at The Watermill Theatre, directed by Charlotte Westenra.

With puppetry design and driection by Finn Caldwell, design by Anna Kelsey, Lighting by Hartley TA Kemp, musical direction by Pat Moran, Choreography by Steven Harris, Sound by Ella Wahlström.

Starring Julian Forsyth, Zoe Rainey, Scarlett Wilderink, Claire-Marie Hall, Jonathan Charles, Jack Beale, Laura Johnson, Angela Caesar, Yazdan Qafouri, Eilon Morris, Stephen Leask and Jon Whitten.

16 March 2020
The Wicker Husband is forced to close due to the Covid Pandemic
March 2022
The original Watermill production of The Wicker Husband returns for a limited run at The Watermill Theatre.

Julian Forsyth, Claire-Marie Hall, Jonathan Charles, Angela Caesar and Jon Whitten return to the cast and are joined by Gemma Sutton, George Maguire, Tom Norman, Joe Alessi, Rachel Barnes, Nisha Anil and Sebastian Charles.
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