Mikron Theatre is celebrating its 50th year of their unique style of touring by canal, river and road this year and is producing a new show Red Sky at Night, Lindsay Rodden’s new play about the nation’s obsession with the wild and wonderful world of weather. Through the chronicles of history, people have gazed up and marvelled at the mysteries of the weather. Generations have tried to master the elements and understand the magic of the skies. Hayley’s sunny, beloved dad was the nation’s favourite weatherman. He could make a typhoon sound like a tickle. Hayley is now following in his footsteps, to join the ranks of the forecasting fraternity. Or at least, local shoestring teatime telly. When the pressure drops and dark clouds gather, Hayley is melting faster than a lonely snowflake. She’s seen the future’s forecast, but will anyone listen?
Playwright Lindsay Rodden said:
“Through an incredible half-a-century, whatever the weather, Mikron have travelled the country, chronicling our histories, our struggles, our passions and our lives. I am over the moon to write just one of these stories, and say Happy Birthday Mikron, fighting fit and fifty years young!”
Red Sky At Night is directed by Artistic Director Marianne McNamara, designed by Celia Perkins (Raising Agents, Mikron Theatre and Dick Wittington, Oldham Coliseum), with music composed by Sonum Batra (The Railway Children, Hull Truck Theatre) and Musically directed and arranged by Rebekah Hughes (Atalanta Forever, Mikron Theatre and Pride and Prejudice, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre).
Based in the village of Marsden, at the foot of the Yorkshire Pennines, the company are like no other. For starters, over the last 50 years they have toured 66 productions on board a vintage narrowboat and spent over 34,000 boating hours on the inland waterways. Secondly, they perform their shows in places that other theatre companies wouldn’t dream of; a play about growing-your-own on an allotment; a play about bees performed next to hives, a play about fish and chips to audiences in a fish and chip restaurant, as well as plays about hostelling performed in YHA Youth hostels and the RNLI, performed at several Lifeboat Stations around the UK. Over the last 50 years the company has performed 5200 times to over a staggering 436,000 people.
Red Sky at Night will be touring nationally until 22nd October. It will be performed alongside Raising Agents, Maeve Larkin’s play about the Women’s Institute.
For further information on Red Sky at Night and Raising Agents visit http://mikron.org.uk
