The cast of Kes who will be performing at Theatre By The Lake have been getting up close and personal with birds of prey. 

The performances are set to take place between April 6 and 30 and to prepare the cast have visited Wild Wings Bird of Prey Centre. 

They met with Cloud the kestrel hawk and it is hope that this will provide them with inspiration for their upcoming shows. 

Jake Dunn, who plays Billy Casper said: "Seeing these beautiful and graceful birds was a truly rewarding experience and gave me a greater connection to the character of Billy Casper.

"The stage production lets audiences visualise Kes through the beauty of the performance and the theatrical effects created with lighting and music, so for us to see first-hand how they move and interact will build an even greater realism of Kes for the audiences."

This new co-production by Theatre by the Lake and the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, adapted for the stage by Robert Alan Evans, is directed by award-winning theatre director and one of The Stage’s 25 Theatremakers to watch in 2022, Atri Banerjee.

First released as a novel in 1968, it was then adapted for the big screen in Ken Loach’s acclaimed drama the following year. The stage version promises an intimate and highly theatrical exploration of this moving and much-loved story.

Set in a 1960s working-class Yorkshire mining town, Kes depicts the struggles of 15-year-old Billy Casper. Bullied and neglected, life isn’t easy for Billy, but when he finds Kes – a kestrel hawk who he cares for and trains, it gives Billy a passion and freedom that has been missing throughout his life.

The creative team for Kes includes: set and costume design by Anisha Fields, lighting design by Jamie Platt, sound design and composition by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, movement direction by Jennifer Jackson, dialect coaching by Natalie Grady and assistant direction by Eilidh Gibson.

Find out more and book tickets via the Theatre by the Lake Box Office on 017687 74411 or at Theatrebythelake.com.