THEATRE by the Lake's new season promises to be an absolute cracker, bursting with world and regional premieres, fresh collaborations and new writing.

Wonderfully ambitious, the programme is the Keswick theatre's first under the leadership of new artistic director, Conrad Lynch - marking the theatre’s bold move to being a producer-led venue for the first time.

Paying homage to the “great British play” is very much at the heart of Conrad's inaugural season, opening in terrific style on March 31 with the world premiere of William Wordsworth, a Theatre by the Lake and English Touring Theatre co-production. Written by award-winning playwright Nicholas Pierpan, the poignant new play looks at the man behind the name and explores how some of the most beautiful and startling poetry in history came to be created.

The opening production also ‘welcomes home’ English Touring Theatre, formerly Century Theatre Company, which will co-create a show at Keswick for the first time since its move to Crewe and then London more than 20 years ago.

The theatre’s much awaited summer season will feature another first - a two-company ensemble with a major revival of Terence Rattigan’s heart-rending and beautifully written After the Dance, running from May 26 until November 4. Hot on its heels with be a collaboration with Shared Experience creating a new production of one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, As You Like It, from July 7, and completing Theatre by the Lake summer season line up in its Main House opening on June 15, will be the regional premiere of the celebrated and critically acclaimed Handbagged by Moira Buffini, a wickedly funny play that speculates on that most provocative of questions: What did Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher – two of the world’s most powerful women - talk about behind closed palace doors?

Launching the theatre’s Studio season is a production of Two-Way Mirror by Arthur Miller, running from March 18-25 and April 10-22, directed by John Dove, continuing the theatre’s commitment to rural touring, visiting a range of venues in partnership with Highlights and Arts Out West.

The Studio Theatre Summer Season hosts a programme dedicated to new writing - the venue’s first - marking an exciting and deliberate gear change for 2017. First up, is a Theatre by the Lake, Royal Exchange and Sherman Theatre co-production of How My Light is Spent, running from May 31 until June 24. Written by Alan Harris, the heartfelt and incredibly funny take on loneliness, isolation and longing won the Judges’ Award at the 2015 Bruntwood Playwriting Competition at Manchester’s Royal Exchange. It marks the theatres’ first ever co-production together.

Opening on August 11, there is also a world premiere of family drama Remarkable Invisible by award-winning American writer Laura Eason, who is also a writer for the Emmy award-winning Netflix series, House of Cards.

And not to be missed will be another world premiere - Howard Brenton’s adaptation of Strindberg’s masterpiece, Miss Julie, running from June 30.

The season is shaping up to be one of the most innovative and exciting Theatre by the Lake as ever staged since it opened its magical doors way back in 1999.