Theatre by the Lake

About

'Artistically sharp, stunningly situated' – New Statesman

'Combines a spot as idyllic as anywhere on Earth, with first class theatrical entertainment' – Daily Telegraph

'The most beautifully located and friendly theatre in Britain' - The Independent

Theatre by the Lake has a setting on the shores of Derwentwater no other professional theatre in Britain can match. Each year it stages up to nine of its own productions of classic, modern and new plays on its two stages and has won multi-starred reviews from national critics, as well as having won the UK Theatre Award for the North West’s Most Welcoming Theatre for the past 4 years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017).

There are lift to all levels and wheelchair users can get to all front-of-house and backstage areas. Both auditoria have enhanced-hearing and induction loop systems. Free wifi is available in both the Theatre building and Café by the Lake.

Tickets can be purchased online on our website, where you can choose your own seat and see views of the stage before you buy. Alternatively, call the Box Office who will be happy to advise you on 017687 74411 – its open from 9.30am to 8pm daily (6pm on non-performance nights).

The Studio

Theatre by the Lake’s Studio is the smaller and more intimate performance space and plays host to a year-round programme of home produced and incoming work.

The Studio was expanded from 75 to approximately 90 seats in 2008 as the audience for classic, contemporary and cutting-edge work grew. It is a compact space in which playgoers are close to the actors and in the thick of the action.

For our own productions, we often use a traverse format with the audience grouped in two banks of tiered seats facing each other across a long, narrow flat-floor stage. Actors enjoy its intensity and our audience experience each and every nuance.

Previous plays have ranged from Pinter’s The Caretaker to the critically acclaimed production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
 

The Main House

Theatre by the Lake’s Main House is a state of the art auditorium seating up to 400 people on 3 levels. It hosts a wide range of interesting and high quality performances and productions all year round.The Main House is our largest performance space and plays host to a year-round programme of home produced and incoming work.

It is a comfortable, modern auditorium with a modern twist on the traditional proscenium arch. Sightlines are perfect from almost every one of the 389 seats on three levels. Actors and audiences alike enjoy the theatre’s intimacy and excellent acoustics. It is easily accessible for customers with disabilities with options of sitting in the stalls, circle or boxes.

The Main House is home to Theatre by the Lake’s own productions of established plays and new commissions showing plays ranging from Shakespeare to Ayckbourn. Touring companies also fill the stage with performances of dance, drama, music, opera and comedy. It is also the primary venue for the Words by the Water Literary Festival, the Banff Mountain Film Festival and speakers for the Keswick Mountain Festival.

Also at Theatre by the Lake

Lakeside Café & Restaurant

Lakeside Café is open from 9am. We serve breakfast until noon, offering a tempting range of hot rolls and muffins featuring various combinations of Cumbrian bacon, Cumberland sausage and free range eggs. For lunch we offer soup, tasty hot and cold sandwiches, salads and hot dishes. Come with the papers and watch the light change by the minute over Derwentwater.

From 5.30-8pm you can dine in comfort all year round with pre-theatre meals (available with or without booking a performance) including a choice of starters, main courses and sweets made largely with foods produced in Cumbria. Add a glass of wine or beer - and enjoy the view!

For table reservations and more information please call 017687 81102 or visit the Food & Drink section of our website.


Spotlight Café

Relax and unwind in our Spotlight Café. Located on the ground floor of the theatre it's open from 11am, serving the Lakeside Café & Restaurant menu for those who are peckish, or just coffee and cake for those on the go. In the evening during a show it's an atmospheric bar serving everything from champagne to local ale. Free Wi-Fi is available.


Exhibitions

Theatre by the Lake has two gallery spaces used throughout the year for a wide variety of exhibitions by professional and amateur artists, groups and societies. Visit the website for further information about current and upcoming exhibitions.

Admission to the Circle and Friends' Galleries is free. As both galleries are occasionally closed to the public, please check in advance with the Box Office on 017687 74411 if you have only one opportunity to visit an exhibition.

Artists or groups wishing to exhibit work in either space should contact Claire Dunk (Production Assistant) on 017687 72282 or email hilary.rhodes@theatrebythelake.com.