Keswick Plus

On May 8th to 12th May 2012 Keswick Amateur Operatics are doing 'Anything Goes' at the Theatre by the Lake. Tickets from Theatre by the Lake

Journalist at The Telegraph tries ghyll scrambling with his family in Newlands Valley, Keswick - read of their experience - www.telegraph.co.uk

Book your family outdoor activity in Keswick, the Lake District in the hands of safe guides

www.keswick.org.

Actor Timothy Spall to appear at Words by the Water festival

We are delighted to be able to announce that the actor, Timothy Spall, will be appearing on stage at the Words by the Water festival at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, to take part in the programmed event with his wife, Shane Spall, on Sunday 4 March at 6.30pm. They will be talking about their trip along the British coast from Cornwall to Wales in the barge, Princess Matilda, which was made into a three-part documentary for BBC 4.

Timothy Spall’s most recent film roles include Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter and Winston Churchill in The King’s Speech.

Tickets for the event cost £8.50 and can be purchased online at www.theatrebythelake.co.uk or from the Theatre by the Lake box office either in person or on the phone Tel. 017687 74411

The Words by the Water festival runs from 2-11 March at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. Other highlights from the programme include:
• In an addition to the original printed programme, Rory Stewart will open the festival on Friday 2 March at 12.30pm with a talk in which he will share his original and challenging views on how he perceives the mood of Britain today.
• Simon Watt, evolutionary biologist and star of Channel 4’s Inside Nature’s Giants, will talk about how the popular television series literally gets under the skin of the largest animals on the planet to reveal how these supersize creatures really work. Don’t miss Simon’s illustrated talk on Wednesday 7th March at 8pm.
• Martin Bell will talk about his varied career in television, politics and now poetry. Martin will read extracts from his latest book ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ - a collection of light and dark verse inspired by some of the most colourful episodes of his work and life. Sunday 11 March at 2pm

For the full festival programme visit www.wordsbythewater.org.uk

Performers walk on water in beautiful and surreal show on Derwentwater

A beautiful and surreal night-time show, featuring fire, pyrotechnics, a floating bed and a car that drives across the lake, will take place on Derwentwater, in Keswick, this summer.

The dreamlike performance is the story of an ordinary man whose life is transformed when his head suddenly bursts into flames, and he is transported into a fiery world of mythical creatures.

The show, Fous de Bassin (Water Fools) is the creation of French company Ilotopie, and is being brought to Keswick by Lakes Alive, Keswick Tourism Association and Theatre by the Lake, with additional support from Keswick Town Council.

The critically acclaimed show has been performed at famous venues across the world including Sydney Harbour and London’s Docklands

Lyn Gardner, the Guardian’s theatre critic, wrote of the show “It sets fire to the imagination, showing us a warped version of our own world, a cradle-to-the-grave race of competition and power. "

The performances, which are free, will take place on Friday 10 & Saturday 11 August at Crow Park (just opposite Theatre by the Lake) at 9.30pm.

Julie Tait, from Lakes Alive, says: “Fous de Bassin is a beautiful, surreal and unique show – it is absolutely unforgettable. It is also incredibly impressive technically; the cast literally walk - and drive - on water.

“Lakes Alive has always wanted to use Derwentwater as a backdrop for one of our shows , and it will be the perfect setting for this amazing performance. This is definitely an event not to miss.”

Keswick Tourism Association made a significant contribution towards the costs of staging the event. David Jackson, its chairman, says,

“Although Keswick is obviously already a popular tourist destination, we still need to get as many new people as possible to visit the town, and I think this show is a really good way of doing that.

“It looks fantastic, and I think it will pull in a big crowd from all over the country. Hopefully, once people have visited Keswick they will be hooked and come back time and time again.”

Lakes Alive is a programme created and directed by Kendal Arts International with Manchester International Arts.

It is one of the three Annual Legacy Programmes commissioned by the Legacy Trust UK for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It will represent a diverse range of projects and events, across culture, education and sport, appealing to people from all walks of life.

Further details about this event can be found at www.keswick.org
Further details about Lakes Alive can be found at www.lakesalive.org.

Words by the Water Festival Gets Sporty
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With the London Olympics just around the corner, three eminent sports writers will join the starting line-up to talk sport at next month’s Words by the Water Festival in Keswick.

First out of the blocks is Robin Harvie, bestselling author of ‘Why We Run’. Robin ran his first marathon after a bet, but it wasn't until he had turned his hobby into a 120-mile-a-week obsession that he found an answer to why we run at all. If you have ever wondered what makes you lace up your trainers, and why you keep coming back for more, Robin’s talk on Monday 5 March at 12pm will definitely strike a chord.

At 2pm on Monday 5 March, Professor Chris Cooper picks up the baton to delve into the science behind the heated issue of drugs in sport. Drawing on his background as a biochemist, Professor Cooper will discuss what the human body is capable of, how drugs work and how they are detected. He will also consider some of the moral and political issues involved posing questions such as ‘what is cheating?’ and ‘if all illicit substances were made legal, would it make for a new level playing field?’

The use of performance enhancing drugs in sport is just one of many modern developments lamented by Mihir Bose in his book ‘The Spirit of the Game: How Sport Made the Modern World’. On Tuesday 6 March at 3.30pm Mihir will explore how sport lost its spirit. Via a global history of modern sport in the 20th century, Mihir will reveal how sport has become not just big business but one of the most powerful political tools in the world.

The Words by the Water Festival of Words and Ideas runs from Friday 2 March - Sunday 11 March 2012 at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. The festival programme boasts over 100 events featuring the UK’s top authors, politicians, broadcasters and comedians.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.theatrebythelake.com by phone on 017687 74411 or in person at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. A full festival programme is available to view and download online at www.wordsbythewater.org.uk or a hard copy may be requested by phoning 01803 867311.

KARRIMOR GREAT TRAIL CHALLENGE EVENT ANNOUNCED FOR KESWICK

Take on a brand new challenge!

The Karrimor Great Trail Challenge is a new trail running event, taking place on Sunday 17th June 2012 in the Lake District. From the organisers of the Bupa Great North Run and British Gas Great North Swim, the event will feature 10k, half marathon and marathon events all staged on the same day.

Set in one of the UK's most scenic locations, it starts and finishes in Fitz Park, Keswick and the route takes in beautiful views of Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite from the path below Skiddaw.

Thousands of people will take part in three events across the day, from established trail runners to walkers and novices, all experiencing an exciting new event in a beautiful area of the UK. All finishers will receive a medal, Karrimor Great Trail Challenge t-shirt, finisher's pack and chip timing - for accurate finishing time after the event.

For prices, route map information and to sign up to the Karrimor Great Trail Challenge visit www.greattrailchallenge.org

HISTORY BY THE LAKE
THEATRE BY THE LAKE STAGES AWARD-WINNING ALAN BENNETT PLAY

One of Alan Bennett’s finest, funniest and most profound plays – and one that won a string of awards when first produced at the National Theatre in 2004 – comes to the stage of Theatre by the Lake in Keswick from Sat 24 March to Sat 21 April.

The History Boys follows Theatre by the Lake’s much-admired production of Bennett’s The Lady in the Van in the 2008 Summer Season. “Alan Bennett has proved to be a favourite writer with our audiences,” said a Theatre by the Lake spokeswoman. “The History Boys will appeal to anyone who has ever been to school. And since that includes most of us, we are hoping we’ll be putting up the ‘Sold Out’ signs every night.”

In The History Boys, Bennett has created one of modern theatre’s great characters. Hector, a crash-helmeted, poetry-quoting fallible eccentric, is charged with teaching General Studies to a bunch of bright grammar schools boys applying to Oxford or Cambridge in the 1980s.

The unnamed headmaster of Cutler’s Grammar School is obsessed with league tables; but Hector thinks he’s a fool: “The school gives them an education. I give them the wherewithal to resist it.”

Hector also gives them culture, his version of which ranges from Thomas Hardy to classroom versions of Brief Encounter, not to mention the songs of Edith Piaf. The clash between Head and Hector is inevitable as Bennett poses questions about history and how it should be taught; about education and what it is for.

The critics loved the play when first produced at the National Theatre. “A play that strikes me as one of the finest Bennett has ever written, packed with superb one-liners. A play of depth as well as dazzle, intensely moving as well as thought-provoking and funny,” wrote Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph.

“Countless dramatists before Bennett have gone back to school for drama. But Bennett's play outshines its predecessors because it is about the tragic and fulfilling aspects of teaching, about the changing face of England and ultimately about the nature of history itself,” added the Guardian’s Michael Billington, who has written a programme note for Theatre by the Lake’s production.

The History Boys won an Evening Standard Award for best play, a Laurence Olivier Award for best new play and, after the production transferred to New York, a Tony Award for best play.

The History Boys opens on Saturday 24 March and runs until Saturday 21 April. Tickets cost £26 - £10. To book your tickets today call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or book online at www.theatrebythelake.com

Expanding family leads to Meerkat madness at Trotters World of Animals

It’s set to be Meerkat madness at Trotters World of Animals this half term, when the park launches ‘Meet the Meerkats’. The ever expanding Meerkat family needed room to grow, so the park has worked hard during the winter to enlarge their enclosure and prepare it for this exciting new visitor experience.

In anticipation of ‘Meet the Meerkats’, half term visitors can enjoy a Meerkat quiz trail, take part in craft activities, see the Meerkats in their new home and learn more about them from the keepers. It will also be their first chance to pre-book a ‘Meet the Meerkats’ experience.

Proud Meerkat parents Dave and Judy have been breeding since they were first introduced to each other in 2010 and they have had several litters of pups. Today there are 14 members of the ‘mob’ who are very inquisitive and very spritely. Now well established, the family are set to meet their public in a very up close and personal way.

Richard Robinson, Park Manager said “The Meerkats are a firm favourite with families visiting the park and they are fun to watch. They are quick, curious and guests will watch them for hours. We knew they were outgrowing their current home so we took the opportunity to create a larger area that would give us enough space to let our guests meet them ‘in person’. That’s why we are creating the ‘Meet the Meerkats’ experience. They are excitable, but their nosy nature means they do come and say hello. At the moment this experience is only for adults, but once established, we hope to let children enjoy the experience too. ”

The pre-bookable hour long session with the Meerkats includes a chance to talk to the keepers, learning how Meerkats eat and live in the wild. Guests then get chance to ‘Meet the Meerkats’ while their friends and family watch on from outside. Richard said “Last year we had so many people asking for the chance to interact with them, so we are delighted that we can now say yes. We are the only zoo in the Lake District that gives you this rare opportunity.”

Meerkats have always been a favourite in zoos, but they have certainly become more fashionable since documentaries like Meerkat Manor which filmed them in their natural Kalahari Desert habitat and with the infamous insurance company TV ads.

Meet the Meerkats is the third visitor “experience” that Trotters World of Animals has introduced. Last Christmas the demand for vouchers for Lemur Encounters and Hawk Walks more than doubled and the park anticipates this new ‘Meet the Meerkats’ experience will be even more popular.

Extending their range of experiences even further, the park is planning to introduce a Junior Keeper experience in time for Easter. You can find out more about the park at www.trottersworld.com or call 017687 76239.

FEBRUARY FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH AT THEATRE BY THE LAKE
Theatre by the Lake rounds up a month of sensational entertainment with three separate evenings of comedy, drama and music. The Knicker Lady will be providing some light-hearted humour, while mesmerising opera will be appearing in Cosí Fan Tutte. Completing the week of terrific theatre will be an evening of all things French in Encore!.

The Knicker Lady is a hilarious one woman show which romps through the history of the humble knicker, coming to Theatre by the Lake’s Main House on Mon 27 February at 7.30pm. Join Rosemary Hawthorne as she delves through two hundred and fifty years of bloomers, briefs and bustles and presents the myriad of colourful characters that wore them. Told in her own unique and enigmatic style, Rosemary will transport audiences, both male and female, back to the muslin clad elegance of Jane Austen’s England, the corset bound nineteenth century, the suffragettes and daring darlings of the roaring twenties. This energetic and comical show doesn’t leave a brief unturned and will leave you spellbound and dying for more. Rosemary always meets the audience after the show to answer their many questions and sign copies of her books. Tickets cost between £14 - £10.

One of Mozart’s most popular opera’s will be on its way to Theatre by the Lake for two exhilarating performances, from Tue 28 – Wed 29 February at 7.30pm. Swansea City Opera are bringing their production of Cosí Fan Tutte to Keswick, featuring elegant, classical 19th century costumes and some of the finest singers and orchestral players in the country. Staged in English and containing Mozart’s most ravishing music, Cosí Fan Tutte explores the themes of deception, doubt, devotion and the twists and turns of love. It tells the story of two naïve officers who are lured into a scandalous wager to prove that it is against a woman’s nature to be faithful. Don’t miss out on your chance to see this classic opera. Tickets are priced between £21 - £9.

Maggi Stratford and Daniel Bowater bring you a warm, passionate presentation of some of the best-loved songs of France. The combination of piano, accordion and voice conjure up the atmosphere of the French café-cabaret of some familiar songs in Encore!, appearing in the Studio on Wed 29 February at 8pm. From Edith Piaf to Jaques Brel, Prévert, Becaud and beyond, their definitive songs are sung in French and are interwoven with fascinating histories and explanations. This is an evening of entertainment that promises to be wonderfully evocative and very moving. Tickets cost £13.50.

To book for any of these show call Box Office on 017687 74411 or book online at www.theatrebythelake.com.

A MYSTERIOUS TALE OF SUPERSTITION, MURDER AND DESIRE OPENS AT THEATRE BY THE LAKE

This February Theatre by the Lake presents David Harrower’s breathtaking first play Knives in Hens, the story of an unsettling love triangle, which opens on Friday 3 February and runs until Saturday 18 February (preview on Thursday 2 February).

At the heart of this enthralling tale is a Young Woman. Tongue-tied, superstitious and under the thumb of her husband, the Ploughman, she knows the names only of the things that surround her: fields, trees, horses. But she wants to know more and to give names to things that have never had them before, including her own feelings. When she meets the lonely and locally loathed Miller, words bind them together and unlock something powerful inside her.

Harrower’s play inhabits a world of its own, suggested by only very sparse stage directions. The setting of the first scene is described as simply “a cottage at the end of the village” in a “rural place”, it could be anywhere between the Isle of Wight and the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands. The time is evening but there is no indication of year, or even century. There is no suggestion of the precise age of any of the three characters; two have names but the third is listed simply as “Young Woman”. The first line is both puzzling and intriguing. The Young Woman says “I’m not a field. How’m I a field? What’s a field? Flat. Black with rain. I’m no field.”

But this initially bewildering play emerges as one of the most intense and gripping dramas ever performed in the Theatre by the Lake Studio. Harrower’s masterly writing and sense of intrigue will draw audiences into the strange world he has created. This is a play not to be missed by anyone with an interest in contemporary drama.

“A thriller with an old-fashioned love story at its heart” The Guardian

“A haunting, poetic and entirely individual world of its own. I have never seen a play quite like it” Daily Telegraph

Once again Theatre by the Lake is encouraging young people under 26 to experience live theatre by offering Friday £5 tickets for this production (terms and conditions apply). To book, call the Box Office team on 017687 74411.

Knives in Hens opens on Friday 3 February and runs until Saturday 18 February. Tickets cost £19.50 - £5. To book your tickets today call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or book online at www.theatrebythelake.com