Theatre Royal Bath receives visit from Patron, Her Majesty The Queen

This week, The Queen made a visit to Bath to showcase arts and culture within the city. Her Majesty, who has been Patron of the Theatre Royal Bath since 2008, and last visited in 2009, paid a visit to the theatre to give her royal stamp of approval to the epic community play David Copperfield: A Life, which is being staged in the Main House this week. The Queen also announced the name of the new fringe-style community venue to be built at the heart of Theatre Royal Bath’s historic site during her visit. 

Image: HM Queen Camilla visits the Theatre Royal Bath on 17 February 2026, credit Matt Cardy

Her Majesty was received by Theatre Royal Bath’s Director, Danny Moar who led The Queen into the Main House auditorium where she was introduced to Directing and Writing Team of David Copperfield: A Life, Sally Cookson and Mike Akers, before meeting key members of the creative team and watching the company perform the prologue from the show. After the performance, Sally Cookson presented some members of the cast to The Queen, including Helen Nowlan who is playing the role of Aunt Pandora, Phil (Pip) Maguire, one of the actors playing the role of David Copperfield and Catherine Mecredy playing the role of Judge Martha Steel.

Her Majesty was then escorted to see the site of the building which will become the new community venue before arriving for a reception at The Egg Theatre, one of the country’s most established theatres dedicated to children and young people. Here she was introduced to Linda Hillman, whose late brother, David Franklin was a longtime supporter of the Theatre Royal, leaving a significant financial gift to the theatre in his will, Trustees of the Miss Beryl Billings Charitable Trust who have donated a substantial sum towards the new venue, including Chair, Judith Peplar, Andrew Mortimer and Tim Rutherford. At this reception, using a specially designed theatrical prop, in the shape of a replica toy theatre, The Queen unveiled the news that the Community venue (formerly known as Venue 4) will be named The Billings, in honour of Margot Boyd, a Bath-born actress best known for playing Marjorie Antrobus in The Archers, whose legacy under the stewardship of the Miss Beryl Billings Charitable Trust has made such a huge impact on the work the Theatre Royal Bath has been able to undertake in order to support community theatre and the arts.

David Copperfield: A Life is a fantastic new re-telling of Charles Dickens’ beloved story is set to be performed from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 February 2026, as members of the inclusive company will take to the Theatre Royal Bath stage. Led by award-winning director Sally Cookson, together with writer Mike Akers, the production asks: What does this story mean to us today? How can we make it our own? And how do we build a community through the act of making theatre? The show will include creative BSL integration, visually stunning storytelling, live music and appear for a run of five performances only. All performances of David Copperfield: A Life will be BSL interpreted.

David Copperfield: A Life Producer, Katherine Lazare said: “A visit from Queen Camilla is the best endorsement for all the community outreach work we have been doing at the Theatre Royal Bath, and it is brilliant to have that recognition. It is amazing that The Queen unveiled that the name of Venue 4 will now be The Billings, a venue which will provide a home for the programme of work we do within the community, a place to invite people into, a place everyone will be welcome." 

David Copperfield: A Life Director, Sally Cookson said: “It was a thrill to welcome The Queen into our technical rehearsal today, it gave us all a buzz and the cat members were ‘all a quiver!’ Having this recognition from The Queen makes the participants feel seen and valued and made to feel that their work is important, which it is.”

Designed by Stirling Prize-winning architects Haworth Tompkins, the fourth venue sits at the heart of Theatre Royal Bath; an intimate, fringe-style theatre with its own foyer, nestled on St John's Place. Following three years of consultation, planning permission has been granted and further design work will now progress to a final blueprint for the space. 

The Billings community studio will connect Theatre Royal Bath, The Egg and the Ustinov in one theatre district. The 40-seat venue will provide an easy-to-use and affordable new entry point into the city’s creative scene. An accessible foyer, audience facilities and dressing rooms create an arts centre in miniature, and an open invitation for local people to get performing.

David Copperfield: A Life appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 February 2026. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or book online at theatreroyal.org.uk.