LAST CHANCE TO SEE THIS WEEK
Date Posted: 9th November 2025
It’s the last week of the Percy Kelly exhibition at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. ( finishes Saturday 15th) We have had many visitors who have enjoyed seeing some interesting and unexpected pieces of work by Kelly. It’s good to meet up again with people from the past who I used to meet at the gallery. I enjoy being challenged to recall their names. It keeps my brain ticking over.
The highlight last week for me was the afternoon spent with master printmaker Robert Adam who has printed the etchings from Kelly’s plates which have sold really well. Printing from Kelly’s plates means getting inside Kelly’s head, being true to Kelly’s intentions. Robert brought many visual aids which explained the complex and skilful process of printing etchings.
There are 12 on show which relate to and catch the spirit of Cumbria. If you missed last week’s event Robert is driving down from Edinburgh again this Tuesday 11th November to tell us more about Kelly’s techniques. His love and enthusiasm for the art of printmaking is good to see. The session which starts about 2pm is informal and free of charge .
The other highlight of the week is on Friday 14th when Sal and Tony Calvin will stroll around the exhibition telling background stories about the works on show. There are still some puzzles to be solved – it wouldn’t be Kelly if there weren’t! There are at least two charcoal drawings waiting for someone to recognize the location. There was a third that we called the mystery village until a member of staff at the theatre stopped in front of it and told us the name of the village. He was right as well. So it is now no longer a mystery. I will reveal the name of the village in the next newsletter. for those who cant make it.
The other treat of the week is the start on Friday of this year’s Christmas play which is The Wizard of Oz. It has all the usual characters – Dorothy and her dog Toto, the lion, the scarecrow and the tin man, etc - with a delightful difference. The yellow brick road is not in America – it’s in Cumbria. It’s perfect for all the family. Get your tickets now. That’s something you can tick off your Christmas list.