DUBAI: It turns out that living next door to Amal and George Clooney has its perks, as one struggling theater in the UK’s Berkshire found out after months of COVID-19-related setbacks. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle The Mill at Sonning Theater took to Facebook late last week to thank, among others, the Clooneys for their support this the pandemic forced them to suspend performances. “Since July, when the theatre celebrated its 38th birthday, The Mill has only been able to operate its adjoining restaurant with reduced seating, but this together with fundraising and donations from Mill Angel supporters and Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife Amal, who are near neighbors and regular attenders, have been a lifeline to ensure the venue’s survival,” the theater’s owners Tim and Eileen Richards posted on Facebook. The theater is set to re-open on Oct. 30 with a newly named auditorium honoring playwright Ray Cooney due to his support for the venue during lockdown. The Mill at Sonning is to re-open its theatre on 30 October and announces all its in-house theatre productions for... Posted by The Mill at Sonning Theatre on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 Known for its water wheel bar, made from the old mill wheel, the original mill dates back to the 18th century, while most of the theatre building is from 1890. The Clooneys, who live in a $12.5 million home nearby, kept mum on their donation. However, the move should come as no surprise considering their charitable exploits, including a recent donation of $100,000 to Lebanese aid organizations after the Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut. Lebanese-British human rights lawyer Amal and US Hollywood star George bought their Berkshire home in 2014 and promptly carried out extensive renovation works, adding a swimming pool and a private cinema, according to Hello magazine. “It was love at first sight,” George told Berkshire Life magazine in June 2020. “It needed some tender, loving care but I knew it would be a wonderful family home for us and it is on such a marvelous spot, a beautiful part of the Thames surrounded by countryside right by Sonning, which is a delight in itself and yet we would be only 40 miles from London. I couldn’t resist it. “It’s where I hang my hat,” added the actor. “We also have a boat house and a motorboat, which we take out on the river now and then. It’s great fun and this is a lovely part of the world for messing about on the river.”