William Wordsworth at Theatre by the Lake
Andrew Anderson
Theatre by the Lake has gone and got itself a new artistic director – Conrad Lynch – with a new season of exciting in-house pieces to its name. So, we’re expecting big things from this resurgent force in North West theatre creation, and the first production doesn’t disappoint: William Wordsworth.
Written by Nicholas Pierpan and directed by Michael Oakley, there couldn’t be a more suitable topic for this first piece from the Cumbrian company. Wordsworth made his name with nature poems set in the Lake District, and is a huge part of the area’s identity. The play tells the story of how he overcame personal struggles to position himself as one of the nation’s finest poets.
It is delivered by English Touring Theatre, the London company that originally began life in Crewe before relocating to the capital some 20 years ago, making this production both a home-coming and a fresh start. If you’re looking to add a spot of culture to your Lake District trip then this is just the ticket, with the rest of the season – which features Arthur Miller’s Two Way Mirror and Shakespeare’s As You Like It – full of strong selections.
