Keswick Amateur Operatic Society Made with Xara Web Designer Welcome to Keswick upon Derwentwater, a thriving small market town in the northern part of England’s beautiful Lake District, home to Keswick Amateur Operatic Society.  Thank you for visiting our website, and we hope you find the information you are looking for. We are fortunate to not only live in one of the loveliest places in the world,  but to also have a wonderful theatre, the Theatre by the Lake.  The theatre was opened in 1999, and since that time our main annual production has been held there each Spring. Keswick Amateur Operatic Society has been in existence since 1971, (see History of KAOS), and has performed in various venues in the area.   We are currently performing Anything Goes at the Theatre which is being well received by enthusiastic audiences - see below.  Photographs and full reviews of previous productions can be found on the Past Productions  pages. We welcome new members to come and join us.  For details of how to get involved with KAOS, either to perform or to help with the production, please click here or on the How to Join tab at the top of the page.  We have an enthusiastic committee who are responsible for the smooth running of the Society, including the organisation of the annual Show and Concert.  For more details please click here or on the Committee tab at the top. “Anything Goes” REVIEW FROM NODA We’re up and running and have had enthusiastic audiences in packed houses.  Ed McGee from NODA North West saw the show on Wednesday evening, and has sent the review below:   ANYTHING GOES KESWICK AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY Artistic Director Chris Briggs Musical Director Colin Brind Choreographers Danielle Carter and Jenni Thornton Quite a number of the Keswick company had been to the NODA award weekend  in Blackpool, and only had Monday to sort out the ‘get in’, technical, and dress  rehearsal, before opening night on Tuesday, but all credit to them, this was an  excellent performance, at Theatre by the Lake.   Anything Goes is a light, and frothy show, with some memorable Cole Porter standards, loads of comedy, and mistaken  identity, and the plot takes place on board the SS American, sailing from New York to London, and the company certainly  did the show justice. There were some lovely performances, from the principal characters. Jenni Thornton was very convincing as cabaret star  Reno Sweeney. She was very well supported by James Hutchinson as Billy Crocker, although I did feel that perhaps his  beautiful lyric tenor voice was better suited to operetta, than musical comedy. James Sheppard playing his first leading  role with the Society, was a superb Public Enemy No 13, Moonface Martin, and Peter Bergius was a suitably eccentric  English aristocrat, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh.  Emily Greenhow, in her second leading role, played a very charming Hope  Harcourt.  Special mention must also go to Neil Airey, who not only played the important role of Elisha J. Whitney  extremely well, but he had also designed and built the set.  All minor roles were well played and the big production  numbers, ‘Anything Goes’, and ‘ Blow Gabriel Blow’, were very well performed by the whole company. I love to see the  whole company having a go at tap numbers, rather than a dance troupe, well done all you ‘tappers’!!!!.   A very good production by Chris Briggs, he had welded a strong team together. The band were excellent, and certainly did  Cole Porter’s score justice. Sound and lighting were good, but just one little criticism, if I may, the costumes were not  always of period.  It is always a great pleasure to visit this superb theatre, on the shores of Derwentwater, and to see an enjoyable  performance, makes the drive home more worthwhile. Well done KAOS, I hope the rest of the run is as successful, as the  night we visited.       Ed McGee 10.5.2012 Rehearsal Photos, Anything Goes