Review: The Borrowers, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

The Borrowers by Mary Norton, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

by Ken Powell

The December (not a pantomime) productions at Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) are always cracking affairs. While retaining the decorum of the theatre – and so appealing to oldies like me – their final productions of the year always have a feel of letting their hair down, celebrating and enjoying the fun of season.

This means these are shows are the very best for bringing young people into the theatre, perhaps for the first time. The Borrowers is absolutely perfect for this. This tale of little people who live under the floorboards of an old house is a much-beloved classic. It’s a joy to watch TBTL bring the story to life. Many of us will remember this story from our youth and young ones will simply enjoy it for what it is. Perfect for everyone!

But just how do you put such a fantasy on the stage when your actors are the size of…well, humans? The answer is that you need a team much larger behind the stage than the seven actors on it. From the set design by Bronia Housman, to puppetry design of Marc Parrett (puppetry now well-established as something TBTL do expertly) and on to the aerial support of Joe White, there’s so much involved to make the magic of miniature real and believable. I won’t spoil how they do it. You have to see it for yourself. It’s clever and, at times, really very cute.

It almost goes without saying that the actors themselves are all superb. It’s rare that TBTL pulls together anything other than an equally strong team of players and this year they are all spot on. Nevertheless, also as always, there’s some who must get a special mention:

Courtney George, playing the delightful young Arriety, is a true joy to watch. She bounces around the stage with a grin so wide you can’t help but adore her, yet she’s clearly a talented performer and not just an attractive personality. Children will love her – I loved her! She owns the stage and invites us all in. She’s perfectly cast alongside Katherine Toy – playing her mother, Homily – who is hilarious from start to finish, not least because she reminds us all of our own mums. Between the two of them, we are kept royally entertained, especially from the second half onwards. They are well backed up by the very lovable Michael Blair playing Pod, Arriety’s long-suffering and anxious dad.

Although the seven-strong cast are the main players in the show, it would be wrong to ignore the incidental but delightful work of the youth cast who perform as the ‘Scissors’, ‘Safety Pins’ and ‘Toothpicks’ – three groups of local young people who perform various dances and interact with the actors. TBTL has a strong tradition of involving the community and often this is best showcased in the winter season productions. These young ones were delightful and inspirational for others in the audience who might fancy treading the boards in years to come. There was more than one who seemed likely to continue a love for performing on the stage in years to come.

There’s never a dull moment in this wonderful show, including during the songs, all performed amazingly well by the cast, and on on a range of instruments. It’s so much fun. Ideal for older kids but also so well placed to entertain the adults too – this is the sweet spot that TBTL hits so well every single year. It’s not a raucous comedy but just feel-good fun without becoming pantomime silly. Having said it is a gentler comedy- and without wishing to spoil anything – I will just say that I did roar with laughter at the singing grasshopper. Look out for it. It seriously tickled me.

The Borrowers is showing at Theatre by the Lake’s Main House until Saturday 14 Jan 2023. To find out more call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or visit www.theatrebythelake.com.