Berkshire

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2085" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="jack and sarah the mill at sonning tickets george banks actor" class="wp-image-88538" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-576x800.jpg 576w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-719x1000.jpg 719w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-288x400.jpg 288w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x1068.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1105x1536.jpg 1105w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-003_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1473x2048.jpg 1473w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jack and Sarah at The Mill at Sonning. Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Babies, bereavement and bewildered widowhood may not sound like a particularly jolly night out at the theatre. But The Mill at Sonning&#8217;s latest world premiere &#8211; an adaption of the beloved 1995 movie <a href="https://millatsonning.com/Events/jack-and-sarah/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jack and Sarah</a> &#8211; manages to pull off just that. Showing at the gorgeous riverside theatre until 14 June, the tale follows newly widowed Jack, a workaholic lawyer who is suddenly thrust into life as a single dad. With the help of free-spirited au pair Amy and an eccentric ensemble of family, friends, and a random squatter, worlds collide in the most unexpected of ways. Charm, wit, and plenty of hilarious parental blunders are on the cards. But yep, you will need those tissues at the ready.



Whether or not you&#8217;re familiar with the original flick (starring Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and Richard E. Grant no less), this adaption, written by Duncan Abel and directed by Abigail Pickard Price, manages to bring something totally fresh to the table. The set, for starters, is brilliantly clever &#8211; starting off as a literal building site while Jack&#8217;s house undergoes a behemoth renovation. In fact, the entire show takes place in Jack&#8217;s pad, immersing the audience entirely in his world from start to finish. Even stage management are dressed as builders, so transformations are made like magic before your eyes. But it&#8217;s all cleverly intentional &#8211; the chaos of the build mirroring Jack&#8217;s own struggles and journey throughout the story. By curtain close, the set wouldn&#8217;t look out of place in a glossy full page spread in House Beautiful. If only all renos were that speedy, eh?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1817" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="whats on at theatre near me berkshire" class="wp-image-88541" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-660x800.jpg 660w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-826x1000.jpg 826w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-330x400.jpg 330w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x930.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-017_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1268x1536.jpg 1268w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Jack himself is compellingly played by the fantastic George Banks (Coronation Street), who seamlessly navigates both the tender, emotionally raw scenes and those warmer, more heartfelt moments. The heartbreaking sequence with his father (played by Neil Roberts) is particularly poignant. What&#8217;s the deal with the baby, you ask? Spoiler alert: it&#8217;s not a real one. But it&#8217;s a pretty convincing one at that. And she even grows as the show goes on. 



With the new release of Apple TV&#8217;s Margot&#8217;s Got Money Troubles, stories centering around the trials and tribulations of solo parenthood are seemingly a pretty hot topic right now. Jack&#8217;s journey into fatherhood is enormously watchable, and there’s something deeply charming about learning alongside him. From using socks as hats and wheelbarrows as prams to nails as a rattle, it&#8217;s all very funny. Well, she is growing up on a building site after all. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1103" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="jack and sarah show sonning rufus hound" class="wp-image-88543" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-800x588.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1000x735.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-400x294.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-022_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x565.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



Light comic relief comes in the form of <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/interview-rufus-hound-actor-comedian-jack-and-sarah-mill-at-sonning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rufus Hound</a> who takes on the role of William, previously played by Ian McKellen in the film. But there were no drawing comparisons from where I was sitting. Rufus totally makes it his own, adding a Scottish accent to our whiskey drinking drunk, and owning every scene he was in. His character has a real easy charm, and his honest, unwittingly blunt one-liners had the audience cackling with laughter.



The whole cast, in honesty, are superb, but Anya De Villiers particularly stood out with her performance as Amy. She had a magnetic and very likeable presence on stage, and you can&#8217;t help but root for her. But the talent doesn&#8217;t end there. Alongside Duncan Abel, Anya helped write original songs for Jack and Sarah and performs them in the show. Both lyrics and her vocals are beautiful, and I could tell, had totally captivated the audience. Unlike the movie, Amy and William are both given back stories which helps give further depth to the characters and story.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2045" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg" alt="jack and sarah whats on the mill at sonning tickets" class="wp-image-88536" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-587x800.jpg 587w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-733x1000.jpg 733w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-293x400.jpg 293w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-768x1047.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-at-sonning-002_Jack-and-Sarah_Pamela-Raith-Photography-1127x1536.jpg 1127w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Pamela Raith Photography</figcaption></figure>



My tiniest gripe? The push from family and friends for Jack to &#8216;move on&#8217; just months after losing his wife and navigating life as a single parent was perhaps a little on the heavy side at times. However, ultimately the message in Jack and Sarah is clear and comforting. Grief naturally is a major theme, but this isn&#8217;t a story about trying to shed scars. It&#8217;s about wearing them on your sleeve, embracing pain, and learning to love again. And honestly, The Mill&#8217;s revival is very easy to love. An unexpected, tender rom-com which is buoyantly paced, and pulls off the blend of feel-good fun while sincerely tackling the harder stuff. Bittersweet, beautifully done and just the tonic, if you ask me.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wine-amp-dine">WINE &amp; DINE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food.jpg" alt="the mill at sonning restaurant dinner tickets whats on at theatre near me" class="wp-image-88552" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/04/mill-sonning-food-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



A night at The Mill means a pre-show two-course meal is on the cards. Yippee! Most tickets at the theatre are built in with a dining experience, however, essential tier wing seats or matinee performances are always an option should you just want show-only tickets. Service is always super friendly and attentive here, and once guided to your table, you get some bread to nibble on before choosing your main and dessert off a menu.



Choices range from homemade steak pie to sea bream, plus veggie options. I grabbed the roasted chicken leg with pomme purée, French green beans, and homemade mustard sauce which was lovely. The chicken was super soft. For pud, the dark chocolate mousse had my name all over it and went down a treat. Ambience is relaxed, plus you can preorder drinks to arrive right back at your designated table during the interval. It&#8217;s all very easy and a great way to make a proper night out of it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



Good For: Rom-com enthusiasts who don’t mind a few tears mixed in with the laughs. Jack and Sarah is feel-good theatre done right and perfect for date night.



Not For: A campy night of musical theatre. It&#8217;s not a sing and dance moment, but you&#8217;ll still leave with a smile on your face. 



Grab your tickets to see <a href="https://millatsonning.com/Events/jack-and-sarah/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jack and Sarah</a> at The Mill at Sonning&nbsp;theatre <a href="https://millatsonning.savoysystems.co.uk/MillAtSonning.dll/TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem_1196.TcsWebTab_1197.TcsProgramme_960029" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. On now until 14 June.



Words by Ellie Ball



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/arts-culture/behind-the-scenes-of-the-mill-at-sonnings-jack-and-sarah/">Behind the scenes of The Mill at Sonning’s Jack and Sarah</a></li>



<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/interview-rufus-hound-actor-comedian-jack-and-sarah-mill-at-sonning/">Muddy meets actor, comedian, and star of the stage Rufus Hound</a></li>



<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/whats-on/festival-survival-guide-fi-fest-maidenhead-festival/">Festival survival guide incoming! How to boss Fi.Fest like a pro</a></li>
</ul>

Review: Jack and Sarah, The Mill at Sonning

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