Theatre by the Lake has announced the world premiere of The Farmer’s Wife, a brand-new play inspired by Helen Rebanks’ acclaimed memoir, running from 18 September to 10 October 2026.
Written by award-winning playwright Hannah Khalil and directed by Theatre by the Lake’s Artistic Director Liz Stevenson, the production explores a single day in the life of three generations of women living and working on a family farm in rural Cumbria.
Set in the round in the venue’s Main House, the play offers an intimate and immersive portrait of a daughter, mother, and grandmother whose lives intertwine as past and present overlap in their shared kitchen.
Described as a funny, raw and deeply human drama, the piece shines a light on the often unseen labour of women in farming, while celebrating connection, resilience and the realities of modern rural life.
Helen Rebanks said: “Having my story inspire an entirely new play at Theatre by the Lake is both thrilling and humbling. Hannah Khalil is an extraordinary playwright — she has taken my experiences, and those of other farming women, and shaped them into something with real emotional depth and a genuine sensitivity to the lives it portrays.
“Liz Stevenson, Theatre by the Lake’s Artistic Director, has been wonderful throughout, truly listening to both my ideas and my initial apprehensiveness, which has meant everything. This feels like more than a play to me. It is a chance to bring a rural voice to the stage; the voice of farming women, so often overlooked or left unheard at a time when agriculture is facing some of its greatest challenges in living memory. I hope we do the farming community proud.”
The production continues Theatre by the Lake’s tradition of bringing authentic Cumbrian stories to a wider audience, following its staging of A Shepherd’s Life, adapted from James Rebanks’ memoir a decade ago.
Liz Stevenson said: “The Farmer’s Wife is a vital new play speaking directly to the labour and resilience of rural women, shining a light on stories so often left untold. Hannah Khalil captures the emotional truth and complexity of their experiences in a changing world with enormous warmth, honesty, and compassion. Our production brings this story to life through a highly stylised staging that evokes the essence of the landscape. It promises to be a deeply atmospheric experience, a theatrical love letter to the raw beauty of the Lake District fells.”
Playwright Hannah Khalil added: “I’ve had a love affair with the Lakes since my early adulthood and have dreamed of making a play for Theatre by The Lake. So it’s my absolute honour to have had the opportunity to write this play celebrating the hidden labour of women in farming, like my grandmothers, inspired by Helen’s honest memoir.”
Casting and full creative team are to be announced.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
