Celebrating 25 years of the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick

Theatre by the Lake is marking its 25th anniversary with celebration events including a newly created production, a series of commissioned photographic portraits of people closely connected to the theatre and an exhibition of costume, props and images from productions over the years

It is not to overstate its work and legacy to say that Theatre by the Lake, in Keswick, re-shaped the cultural landscape of Cumbria when it opened 25 years ago.

The story begins with The Blue Box, the Century Theatre’s mobile performance venue described in a 2009 history as “a bizarre touring theatre small enough to travel on Britain’s pre-motorway roads, but big enough, once unfolded, to seat 225 people in comfort”.

Bringing in the Blue Box (Image: Supplied) The Blue Box visited Keswick from 1961 and in 1975, when it could no longer tour, became a permanent resident of the town.

Local supporters campaigned for years for a new theatre, and in 1991 the project to build one began. Theatre by the Lake finally opened to the public in September 1999 under the aegis of executive director Patric Gilchrist and artistic director Ian Forrest. Its official launch by Dame Judi Dench and her late husband Michael Williams took place on a cold night on December 14 that year at a performance of A Christmas Carol. There was an unexpected snowfall during the interval.

Dame Judi’s connection to Keswick goes back much further, however. With Judi a teenager, her “incredibly adventurous” father would drive the family from their home in York to Keswick for unforgettable days of exploration, we are told.

Dame Judi Dench wearing the hard hat Judi's hard hat she took home with her after wearing it on a digger for shots of digging foundation of TBTL (Image: Amy Bateman) She remains passionate about the need for quality theatres in rural locations that benefit young people and countryside communities and, as president of Theatre by the Lake, she continues to champion its work. She says: “I love Keswick. Having a theatre built – and a theatre built in such an exquisite place – is a rarity.”

As a popular venue for both locals and tourists alike, the theatre’s wide range of productions, in both the main house and studio space, attract well over 100,000 people each year, but its work in Cumbrian communities involves so much more.

Its new, anniversary exhibition We Are 25 tells the theatre’s story through some of the people who have nurtured its success over 25 years. A series of 25 portraits was commissioned from award-winning Cumbrian photographer Amy Bateman of people associated with the theatre from Lord Melvyn Bragg and Dame Judi to key creatives, theatre supporters and local volunteers.

Lord Melvyn Bragg, a proud Cumbrian and fierce advocate for the arts as well as a patron of the theatre, which has produced musical adaptations of his novels The Hired Man (2004) and The Maid of Buttermere (2009). (Image: Amy Bateman) In addition to the photographic exhibition in the top floor Circle Gallery, a second exhibition in the Friends Gallery on the floor below focuses on celebrating audiences' favourite shows through the theatre’s history. Featuring a timeline from 1999 to the present, the story is told through words and pictures from many productions, alongside 25 props and costumes that helped bring each to life. They include a mustard seed costume from A Midsummer Night’s Dream from 2009, two china dogs from Noises Off in 2000, a collection of hats, shoes and wigs, Pod and Arrietty puppets from The Borrowers in 2022 and the elephant’s head from 2023’s Around the World in 80 Days.

The exhibition was designed and curated by Louie Whitemore, who has created sets and wardrobe for several productions and is also depicted deep in the theatre’s costume store in one of Amy’s photographs.

Amy, who is well-known for her 2023 Lakeland Book of the Year and subsequent exhibitions, Forty Farms, also curated the We Are 25 portrait exhibition.

Louie Whitemore, set and costume designer from Ullswater who also works internationally, designing for theatre, ballet and opera. An associate artist of the theatre, she has designed several productions and exhibitions, including the new retrospective (Image: Amy Bateman) Simon Stephens, the theatre’s executive director explains: “We wanted to celebrate the first 25 years of the theatre and when Liz [Liz Stevenson, artistic director] and I started to plan this, we thought in particular about the social value of Theatre by the Lake, and how to capture the breadth of what we do.”

“These are challenging times for any theatre,” adds Liz. “So we needed to ask what is Theatre by the Lake, what’s its value and does it need to be here in 25 years’ time? And we found many examples of the theatre’s impact on an individual’s life, so it became all about people’s stories, and capturing these so we could talk about past, present and future of theatre here.”

The theatre currently has 27-29 permanent staff and has employed hundreds of freelance artists and creatives, together with community input, over the years. There are 18 trustees, a supportive community of members and 180 volunteers who last year gave 9,000 hours of their time to front-of-house duties under the watchful eye of customer experience manager Mary Elliott, as well as helping with marketing and being enthusiastic advocates for the theatre’s activities.

Liz Stevenson and Simon Stephens, joint CEOs of Theatre by the Lake (Image: Amy Bateman) Simon and Liz, who also operate as joint CEOs, decided to tell the story of the theatre through 25 key people – one for each year.

The idea to commission Amy Bateman was unanimous. “She was already on our radar as we both have her Forty Farms book on our coffee tables,” they agree.

Amy’s ability to capture people in their working environment, naturalistically but always with keen artistry, was a perfect fit for what they wanted to achieve. And there was no time to be lost.

Amy, who lives on a working farm, takes up the story: “I got the call earlier this year, so it’s all been turned round quite quickly. The process started just after lambing time. I feel incredibly grateful to these guys for thinking that I could capture people’s stories in this way.

Kash Arshad whose first professional directing job was assistant director of Handbagged at the theatre in 2017. He went on to be a successful freelance director and returns to Theatre by the Lake this Christmas to direct The Jungle Book (Image: Amy Bateman) “I like to think I am a storytelling photographer, and it’s been nice to move out of my agriculture niche. I’ve really enjoyed meeting everyone and interviewing them too built up a rapport which hopefully comes across in the photographs.”

Personal and illuminating quotes from each person accompany each image along with some background information. Every one represents a different part of the theatre community, not just locally but also further afield.

Simon and Amy travelled south to photograph Lord Bragg and Dame Judi, and also met with Sir Greg Doran, the distinguished theatre director who began his directing career at The Blue Box, at Judi’s house. His portrait is also one of the 25.

Sir Greg was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012-2022 and subsequently director emeritus of the RSC. He has been called “one of the great Shakespeareans of his generation”. Simon explains that Sir Greg directed the final season at The Blue Box, prior to the build of the theatre. “He cut his teeth as a director here, and we played an instrumental part in his subsequent career.”

Melina Barnett, an associate artist at Theatre by the Lake who is passionate about working with communities and inspiring local young people. She is developing new work focusing on connections between creativity and nature (Image: Amy Bateman) Keswick residents Rosemary and Phil Kemp were instrumental in involving Dame Judi and Michael Williams with the theatre, as Phil was at primary school with Michael. The couple did a huge amount of advocacy for the theatre in the early days as well as officiating at its opening.

“We had a discussion with Judi that if Michael were still alive, we’d have photographed them together. In the end I curated her image so the composition included Michael, whose picture is in the background,” says Amy. “When we came back to Cumbria, I emailed the pictures through to the theatre saying, ‘I’ve edited the Lord, the Sir and the Dame’. It’s not often you get to say that!”

Amy was given a list of people to interview and photograph, but the location of each photoshoot was still to be decided.

Julie Carter, doctor, poet and celebrated fell runner was supported to write her first play, The Dreamtime Fellrunner, which she has been performing at Theatre by the Lake before a national tour (Image: Amy Bateman) “It was a collaboration with theatre staff,” she says. “To tell people’s stories I needed to know their backgrounds so was given a big spreadsheet about everyone and their involvement with the theatre.

“We aimed to represent all aspects of the theatre – outside, inside, auditorium, on stage etc – hence having outdoorsy Julie Carter standing in Derwentwater, Louie Whitemore in the costume store, pioneer of ‘relaxed performances’ Solomon Ng relaxing in a seat in the main house and Mary Elliott welcoming people in the foyer.”

Mary is customer service manager and a longtime employee of the theatre. Volunteer Jean Stephens, longstanding audience member and supporter Ruth Stirrup and Anne Chambers, former chair of the theatre Friends and a trustee, feature as people reflecting life at the theatre.

Solomon Ng who supported the theatre's first 'relaxed performance' The Railway Children, in 2012, one of the first of its kind in the UK. Aimed at anyone who may benefit from a more easygoing atmosphere, relaxed performances are suitable for (Image: Amy Bateman) Jenn Bell, who delivers the Setting the Scene dementia programme, John Miller, volunteer at mental health charity Andy’s Man Club and Alex Lehninger, chair of Keswick Amateur Operatic Society, were also photographed.

And of course there are artists too: actors Polly Lister, Peter MacQueen, Jordan Tweddle, Eve Pereira and Faren, a member of the theatre’s youth cast; Mark Melville, Cumbrian composer and sound designer; writer Carmen Nasr; and Cumbrian writers and performers Lekhani Chirwa and Daneka Etchells.

Amy is asked regularly for her favourite subject and happily admits it was Dame Judi. “The privilege of photographing Dame Judi must be right up there with best life experiences,” she says. “She’s such an eminent actor, and a lovely person. When we finished the photography she asked if we’d like a little drink, and the champagne came round.

Vicky Robinson MBE, the founding president of Theatre by the Lake and longtime co-chair of the board, photographed wearing the same dress she wore at the formal opening of the theatre (Image: Amy Bateman) “The most fun session was probably with Vicky Robinson, former joint chair of Cumbria Theatre Trust, who was there at the theatre’s opening. I photographed her in the spotlight, on stage – wearing the dress she wore 25 years ago at that opening.

“Everyone was generous with their time and hospitality, feeling it a privilege to be involved, as was I. Every portrait has a little story, so I’m hoping I might be able to do a little ‘behind the scenes’ talk here at some point, as I did with Forty Farms.”

The We Are 25 exhibition will run for a year at the theatre, but there are other celebratory events too, including CumbriaFest, a festival of new Cumbrian writing and work, including Steel by Lee Mattinson, which is set in Workington, and Julie Carter’s Dreamtime Fellrunner, as well as a birthday party to thank people like founding directors Gilchrist and Forrest, as well as volunteers.

A collection of shoes from shows including Dick Barton: Special Agent, 2005, and Sinbad, 2006 (Image: Stephen Barber) “Community engagement is so important to what we do now, and what we want to do next,” says Liz. “West Cumbrian Steel, for example, will have two and half weeks in the Studio and then on a Cumbrian community tour finishing at the Carnegie in Workington on November 2-3. Then we’re hoping it will do a national tour next year.”

As for the future, the vision is clear. “As Cumbria’s producing theatre, we want to keep on making theatre in this extraordinary place, and double down on this being our essence,” explains Simon.

Liz agrees: “It’s about the building, but also very much about the theatre we make ourselves. We produce it, we make it here from scratch – and with passion. I think that comes across in all the work we’ve done and all the photographs, which show people who are passionate about what we do.

Chinese dragon mask from The Firework-Maker's Daughter, 2011 (Image: Stephen Barber) “It takes dedication and skill of course, as well as passion, but making it in this place is always inspirational: our location, this building and the community around it, with whom we love sharing the building.

“There are so many emerging artists in Cumbria too, who will often come and do a week of research and development here,” adds Simon. “Supporting and developing local artists in rural Cumbria is a big ambition of ours.”

It includes young actors in Company 25, a new company for 14 to 18-year-olds. Company 25 will work together to tell the theatre's story – its past, present and future – as a celebration of 25 years of the theatre. They will learn about all things theatre from producing to budgeting, marketing and performance and movement to music, co-creating and presenting a series of performances with leading theatre professionals.

Behind the scenes, Sir Greg Doran, Dame Judi Dench and Cumbrian photographer Amy Bateman (Image: Amy Bateman) “Our vision is basically to continue to make high quality theatre with something for everyone,” says Liz. “But we’re also passionate about getting our work out to places which wouldn’t normally have access to it. These are challenging times for the performing arts, and if we’re going to be here in 25 years’ time, we need continued support, keeping our existing friends but also making new ones.”

Theatre by the Lake was willed into existence by the community 25 years ago and 25 years on, under the co-leadership of Liz and Simon, the sense of community ownership and connection remains strong.

The We are 25 exhibition is a celebration of some extraordinary people and the theatre’s past, but it also looks forward to the next 25 years presenting ambitious, high-quality work and new writing rooted in Cumbria.

We Are 25 runs at Theatre by the Lake until August 2025. Entry is free.

CumbriaFest runs until October 31, 2024.

theatrebythelake.com

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