Theatre By The Lake in Keswick has announced five new co-productions for its spring-summer 2023 season. Around The World in 80 Days (March 31-April 29) sees Detective Fix of Scotland Yard in hot pursuit of travellers Phileas Fogg and company. Will they manage to avoid arrest and make it home before their time is up? Based on Jules Verne’s classic novel, this new production - by writer Laura Eason - has evocative music, puppetry and circus, and is a joint project between TBTL and Hull Truck Theatre. The Lost Spells – A New Musical (May 24-June 3) has been adapted from the best-selling book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. A girl with no name finds a magical book of spells that conjures up a wild world. This show for all the family is produced by TBTL, Goblin Theatre, Watford Palace Theatre and Polka Theatre. In Blonde Bombshells of 1943, the most glamorous wartime all-girl swing band in the north loses members every time it plays a GI camp. Now there’s an important BBC appearance in the offing and Betty needs to find new musicians fast as her band prepares to dodge Hitler’s bombs and make the dangerous journey for the performance of their lives. Alan Plater's lovely nostalgic comedy (July 5-29) is produced by TBTL, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Stephen Joseph Theatre. The 39 Steps (August 3-September 2) mixes a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and a host of colourful characters, played by a ridiculously talented cast of four. Iconic scenes include the chase on the Flying Scotsman, the first ever theatrical bi-plane crash and a death-defying (nearly) finale. Produced by TBTL and Stephen Joseph Theatre.
Tuning In (June 7-15) is a one-man tour-de-force that explores the destructive nature of disability prejudice. The play follows the story of Reagan as he tries to piece together what went so wrong whilst trying to control his impulses and battle against his own brain. Written and performed by Adam Fenton. Originally developed by TBTL as part of the digital SPARK programme in 2021. All performances will be both captioned and audio described, making this TBTL’s most accessible production to date. . As well as its own productions, TBTL will host a selection of visiting companies: How Not To Drown (February 28-March 2) by ThickSkin and Traverse Theatre Company, tells the true story of an eleven-year-old unaccompanied asylum-seeker, written and performed by Dritan Kastrati – who himself escaped the aftermath of the Kosovan War to make a new life in Europe with a gang of people smugglers. The Winston Machine (March 10-11) is a new show from award-winning Kandinsky Theatre Company, exploring the past and its ghosts in the present.
Northern Broadsides arrive with Quality Street (June 20-24), a classic farce by JM Barrie that was such a sensation in its day it gave its name to the UK’s most loved chocolate selection. Artistic director Liz Stevenson said: "This season we see the forging of a new relationship for co-producing with the marvellous Hull Truck Theatre and we build on our existing producing relationships with Bolton Octagon and the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
"As usual we are bringing some of the best touring shows to Keswick, including stand-out productions for children and families.”
Info and tickets here