World premiere production The Climbers is coming to Theatre by the Lake this Summer (17 June to 16 July) - a celebration of all things 'climbing and mountains' with a spotlight on the biggest of them all, Everest (Chomolungma in Tibetan).

Alongside the production, Theatre by the Lake is bringing the great outdoors into the theatre with a range of events and immersive experiences, so audiences and visitors can truly step inside the world of the show. These include a photography exhibition by renowned local photographer Stuart Holmes with photos from his time on Everest, an audio installation called 'What is your Everest?' in which people share the biggest challenge or fear they want to conquer, and two very special events. On 2 July TBTL is thrilled to welcome Rebecca Stephens MBE for a pre-show discussion about her summiting of Everest, and there will a post show discussion on 8 July with Carmen Nasr, writer of the show and Dr Jonathan Westway.

Rebecca Stephens was the first woman from Great Britain to summit Everest in 1993. She then went on to become the first British woman to scale the Seven Summits. Rebecca said: "Ed Hillary once said that no-one would be interested in Everest again, once it was climbed. How wrong he was! I’m thrilled to be coming to the beautiful Lakes to see this intriguing Everest drama played out on stage."

Rebecca's talk will be chaired by Matt Le Voi of Lakeland Mountain Guides. Matt, also a passionate mountaineer, lives locally in Cumbria and runs both a local guiding business and an international one, LMG Treks and Expeditions, that takes people to Everest Base Camp.

Rebecca's talk will be from 5-6pm on Saturday 2 July. Tickets to this event are free to The Climbers ticket holders, subject to availability, but must be booked in advance. To book for the Rebecca Stephens event, on it's own, tickets are £10. Terms and conditions apply (see event for details).

Stuart Holmes' photography will be exhibited throughout the duration of The Climbers on the TBTL Mezzanine. Stuart has travelled extensively around the World and specializes in landscapes and adventure sports. The exhibition will include some of amazing photos of his trips to Nepal. He has also donated his down suit and other equipment that will form a part of the display. Access will be during our Box Office opening times.

Playwright Carmen Nasr will be joined by Dr Jonathan Westway for the post-show discussion on 8 July. Jonathan is an academic and lecturer who is part of ‘Other Everests’ research network which investigates people's relationship with Everest including colonisation, the impact of adventure tourism and the political issues around expeditions.

Finally, the theatre will have an audio loop supported by imagery of all the people who have been asked ‘What is your Everest?’. This is a fascinating insight into what each individual feels is their own personal challenge. Whether it’s their family, work, lifestyle or climbing Latrigg the responses are varied but beautiful, and a good reminder that we all have our own Everest.

The Climbers is on the Main Stage at Theatre by the Lake from 17 June to 16 July. The theatre offers a full range of accessible shows including a Socially Distanced performance for any audiences who are still not sure about coming back.