Review: The Lakers, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

A real Cumbrian gem

The Lakers by Revd. James Plumptre, Theatre by the Lake

by Ken Powell

Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) is, understandably, very proud of its place in Cumbria and actively supports Cumbrian art and history. As a result, the team make room for little-known productions such as The Lakers to run side by side such big productions as Blonde Bombshells. This is more than excellent and TBTL deserve all the praise they receive for such programming. Without it, we might not have got the little gem that is this quirky play set in the Lake District.

The Wordsworth museum in Grasmere is very aware of the importance – and sometimes difficulties – of having tourists to the region. It was very much a new thing in Wordsworth’s day, as British tastes moved towards the Lakes and the area was romanticised incessantly. Wordsworth’s family was plagued by visitors and there were definite concerns about the damage to the area, while he was simultaneously writing glorious poetry about the very same area.

It is with this in mind that Jeff Cowton, Principal Curator at Wordsworth, suggested that they put on this rarely performed piece, first published in 1798, which centres around such tourists – called ‘Lakers’ – and indulges in a little bit of ridicule at their expense. Today, the dichotomy of tourism hasn’t gone away and this is reflected in the little modern touches both in the projections shown on the backdrop and the modern clothing of ‘the pedestrians’ (played by Ben Abdelnoor and Kathryn Twelvetree) who introduce us to the play.

The Lakers has a classic post-Shakespearean structure, right down to the triptych of paired couples who make up the prominent storyline, and is the epitome of English farce as characters are mistaken for, or pretend to be, each other in convoluted attempts to woo others or avoid someone wooing them. It manages to avoid the Restoration period bawdiness but keeps the spirit of mocking the elite classes, all with a good dose of silliness. The backdrop to this is the Lake district itself where the characters spend time soaking in the beauty and majesty of the area.

Plumptre has written an odd story, obsessed both with the lakes and with botany. That makes the play a problem outside of Cumbria. The botanical references are funny for their incomprehensible nature, but if you don’t know the lakes then much of the context is lost to you. For Cumbrian audiences though, this is a delightful romp.

At the end of the day, this is Am Dram. Not everything is perfectly tuned; not every line is convincing. Nevertheless, it is clearly a labour of love – particularly for director Paul Davies who also plays the mischievous bagman, Billy Sample – and the play as a whole works really well. There are a couple of actors who especially make the performance shine: Matty Jackman makes a handsome and convincing hero, Sir Charles Portinscale; his performance was faultless. Owen Evans plays the hero’s sidekick, Speedwell as well as performing on a variety of instruments. His music skills are an absolute asset to the show. Both make a lovely pairing.

But there is one player who is the undoubted star of the show. Sarah Waterhouse plays the larger-than-life Miss Beccabunga Veronica, man-eater and title-hunter despite having some intelligence and a fortune of her own. The character gets the best lines and Waterhouse milks this for everything it is worth. She gives a superlative performance which is wonderfully hilarious. Almost nothing else matters when watching the play – this actor holds the audience in her grip. She’s brilliant and I would love to see her in something again.

Overall then, this is a cracking show for those who love period oddities. It’s a joy, full of funny lines and has a plot that stays on the right side of farce without descending into innuendoes. The cast do a great job and there’s no doubt this production deserves to go on the road. How you do that with a ten-player show, I don’t know, but it is ideal for touring the halls and small venues around the county. With a bit of luck, it will be matter of months or years – rather than centuries – before we see this cracking yarn again.

The Lakers is showing at Theatre by the Lake until Saturday 15 July 2023. To find out more call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or visit www.theatrebythelake.com.