Theatre By The Lake announces 2026 spring season

Theatre by the Lake has announced details of its upcoming season.

Running from 26 March to 18 April 2026, Lark Rise to Candleford will be a co-production with the Watermill Theatre in association with Hammerpuzzle Theatre Company. Penned by Tamsin Kennard from Flora Thompson’s novel (and directed by Bryn Holding) the production follows Laura’s journey from her rural home to a wider world, accompanied by live folk music.

Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn will run from 9 July to 1 August 2026 in partnership with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Storyhouse Theatre. Set in 1660 London, it tells the story of the actress and royal favourite during the Restoration period.

In August, Calendar Girls The Musical will be staged – we’ve covered that here.

The season concludes with A Christmas Carol, running from 13 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, in association with Goblin. The production presents a musical take on Dickens’ classic tale of Scrooge and the spirits of Christmas.

Other highlights include Love & Other Misunderstandings, Holmes and Watson and the Case of the Masked Magician, and Spitfire Girls. Summer will see performances by The Manfreds, the Reduced Shakespeare Company, and the return of Destination Live: Bowie.

Beyond the main house, the venue’s 2023 production of Every Brilliant Thing will continue to tour, while the Theatre by the Lake Young Company and Tiny Theatre Makers will offer new opportunities for young audiences and families from early 2026.