A Cumbrian play has won a national award.
Steel, written by Workington-born Lee Mattinson, was produced by Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake.
The production has won the Excellence in Touring Award at the UK Theatre Awards.
Accepting the award were Liz Stevenson, director of Steel and artistic director and joint CEO of Theatre by the Lake, Simon Stephens, executive director and joint CEO, and Julia Samuels, artistic director, maternity cover.
Simon said: “Steel represents our vision of creating theatre that is locally inspired and nationally relevant. We’re passionate about artist-led projects that reflect our communities, and Steel is a shining example of that.
“This recognition celebrates not only the work of our creative team but also the people of West Cumbria whose stories inspired it.”
Steel takes audiences on a town-wide treasure hunt for £1 million of “lost railway” in post-industrial Workington. The play explores themes of resilience, identity and belonging in a community once bound by its steel-making heritage.
Steel is inspired by lee’s experiences growing up gay and creative in the town, with a father who worked in the steel industry.
It was commissioned and produced by Theatre by the Lake BTL in 2024, and opened CumbriaFest, its flagship festival that supports creativity and access across Cumbria, before heading out on a Cumbria-wide tour.
The show was then remounted in spring 2025 and embarked on a national tour supported by an Arts Council England project grant, performing in venues across the UK, including Port Talbot, home to Europe’s largest steel complex, which closed down last year.
The two-hander starred Cumbrian-born Jordan Tweddle as James and Suraj Shah in his stage debut as Kamran, with music and sound design by Maryport-born composer Mark Melville, who collaborated with Lee and a new community choir in Workington to create the play’s original soundtrack.
