ONE of only two theatres in Britain to have a company of actors in residence for several months at a time, Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake is 11 years old this week.

It has entered its second decade with a typically adventurous Summer Season that has won applause from audiences for its range and quality.

All six plays are now in repertoire and it is possible for keen theatregoers to see all six, ranging from a wild farce to a claustrophobic family drama, within a week. 

The Summer Season runs from May to early November, with 128 performances in the Main House (389 seats) and 116 in the Studio (92 seats).

Each year Ian Forrest, Theatre by the Lake’s Artistic Director, performs a juggling act to find the right kind of play for each auditorium and a collection that can be performed by a small company of actors, each of whom performs in three shows.

There are 12 actors in the 2010 Summer Season, although members of the audience often believe there are many more.

“Our actors have mastered the art of shape-shifting as they morph from one character to another,’’ said a Theatre by the Lake spokesman. “We quite often see people studying the programme because they cannot believe that the actor they are seeing is the same one who seemed so different on the same stage a couple of weeks earlier.”

Theatre by the Lake and the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland are the only regional theatres in Britain to have a company of actors in residence for several months. Actors who come to Keswick enjoy security of employment for seven months and relish the opportunity to work among the lakes and fells of the Lake District. Many return for subsequent seasons.

Theatre by the Lake celebrated its 10th anniversary with a hugely successful Summer Season that broke Box Office records. Copies of Encore! The First Ten Years of Theatre by the Lake, published last year to mark the anniversary, are still available from the theatre.

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