Theatre by the Lake facts for kids
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| Address | Lakeside Keswick, Cumbria England |
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| Owner | Cumbria Theatre Trust |
| Capacity | Main House 400; Studio 100 (can vary between performances) |
| Opened | 1999 |
The Theatre by the Lake is a super cool theatre located right next to Derwentwater lake in Keswick, Cumbria, England. It opened its doors in 1999. This theatre is famous for its "Summer Season," where a group of up to 14 actors performs six different plays!
Besides the summer shows, they also put on a special Christmas play and two Spring shows. The theatre is a busy place, hosting exciting events like the Words by the Water literature festival, the Keswick Jazz Festival, the Keswick Film Festival, and events for the Keswick Mountain Festival. You can also catch lots of other fun things here, like visiting plays, music concerts, dance shows, talks, comedy acts, and movies.
History of the Theatre
Before the Theatre by the Lake was built, there was a special mobile theatre called the Century Theatre. It first came to Keswick in 1961 and then stayed full-time by the lake from 1975.
People started planning for a permanent theatre building in 1991. In 1996, the old Century Theatre moved away to make space for the new one. Building work began in 1998, and famous actress Dame Judi Dench helped start the project! A big part of the money needed to build the theatre came from the National Lottery. The public even helped choose the name "Theatre by the Lake." The very first show in the new building was on August 19, 1999.
The theatre has two main performance areas:
- The Main House, which can seat 400 people.
- The Studio, which is smaller and can seat 100 people.
What Plays Do They Show?
Theatre by the Lake puts on a wide variety of plays and shows for everyone to enjoy. Each year, they have a special "Summer Season" where a group of actors performs several different plays at the same time. This means you can visit and see a different show almost every day!
They perform all kinds of stories, from classic plays by famous writers like William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens to more modern and new plays. They also have fun Christmas shows, often based on popular stories like A Christmas Carol or The Snow Queen. The theatre also hosts plays that travel from other places, bringing even more exciting performances to Keswick.
