Theatre by the Lake in Keswick will close the year with productions of Romeo and Juliet, Lee Mattinson's Steel and The Jungle Book.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will be presented by Shakespeare North Playhouse and Graeae Theatre Company in association with TBTL 12–16 October and performed by an ensemble of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent actors, incorporating BSL, captions and audio description into the storytelling.
Steel, which headlines the theatre's inaugural new writing festival CumbriaFest, tells the story of two lads on a town-wide treasure hunt in Workington for a contract that could change everything. Following its performances in the Studio 3–10 October, the production will go on a West coast tour.
Also featured in CumbriaFest are The Dreamtime Fellrunner by Julie Carter, a poetic exploration of Julie’s fell-running life 18–21 September, and a series of one-night shows, workshops and social events.
For Christmas, Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book will be presented in an adaptation by Jessica Swales featuring music and puppetry 15 November 2024 to 15 January 2025.
Liz Stevenson, Artistic Director and Joint CEO of TBTL, said, “this season kicks off our 25th anniversary year, which will celebrate the past, present and future of Theatre by the Lake. We’re excited to be working with theatre companies and artists from across the UK and exceptional local Cumbrian talent to share both new stories and classic stories being told in a new way. I’m particularly proud to be directing Steel, which was commissioned by TBTL and will play to audiences here in Keswick and across the Cumbrian West Coast.”