Some theatres are worth visiting for the building alone, and Theatre by the Lake in Keswick is one of them. Set on the shore of Derwentwater with the northern fells rising behind it, this Lake District theatre is often described as one of the most beautifully located in the country. For anyone staying in Borrowdale, it's an easy evening out, a short and scenic drive from the Royal Oak, and the perfect way to add a bit of culture to a break in the fells.
Theatre by the Lake opened in 1999, but live performance has a much longer history on this spot in Keswick. The permanent building succeeded a travelling theatre that once stood beside the lake, bringing drama to the town long before the current venue existed. Today it's a year-round producing theatre and a genuine cultural hub for Cumbria, staging its own in-house productions alongside a busy programme of touring shows. There are two performance spaces, the larger Main House and a more intimate Studio, so there's usually a show on whatever the scale.
The programme is deliberately varied, and that's part of the appeal. Across a typical year the Keswick theatre stages classic plays and bold new productions, big-name musicals, stand-up comedy, live music, poetry, family shows and even mountain film festivals. The theatre's own productions, often created in partnership with respected companies from around the country, anchor each season, while visiting shows fill the calendar month to month. Because the line-up changes throughout the year, it's always worth checking what's on before you plan your visit, and booking tickets early, as popular runs sell out well in advance.
Families are well looked after too, with regular children's shows and young people's theatre groups running through the year, so a trip works just as well for younger visitors as it does for a grown-up evening out.
Theatre by the Lake sits on Lake Road on the edge of Keswick, a short walk from the town centre and right beside Hope Park and Derwentwater, at postcode CA12 5DJ. There's a bar and café on site, so you can arrive early and settle in before the show, and the building is fully accessible, with wheelchair access, an induction loop and adapted facilities. Tickets are available through the theatre's website or Keswick box office, and booking ahead is sensible for the more popular productions. If you're making an evening of it, arrive with time to spare: a walk along the lakeshore before curtain-up, with the light going down over the water and the fells, is a fine prelude to a show.
A night at the theatre pairs perfectly with a stay in Borrowdale. The Royal Oak in Rosthwaite sits around twenty minutes' drive from Keswick, close enough for an easy evening out and surrounded by some of the finest countryside in the Lakes. After the show, you can return to a warm welcome, good food and the peace of the valley. It's the best of both worlds: great theatre within reach and the fells right on your doorstep.
*Please note: The images used on this page are not supplied by Theatre by the Lake, they are for illustrative purposes only.