Mikron Theatre Company Will Remount RAISING AGENTS

Mikron Theatre, one of the country's most versatile touring theatre companies, is delighted to announce that from April it will commence celebrations of 50 years of touring with an exciting remount of its hugely successful 2015 production of Maeve Larkin's (Best Foot Forward, Mikron Theatre) play about the Women's Institute- Raising Agents.

Featuring music written by Mikron's Marsden neighbours, the acclaimed folk duo O'Hooley and Tidow (Gentleman Jack, BBC), the anniversary tour, which will also see the premiere of a new play, will start at Marsden Mechanics Hall on the 7 April and will tour around the UK by road and river until 22 October.

Raising Agents tells the story of Bunnington WI. A bit down-at-heel, with memberships dwindling, it means they can barely afford the hall, let alone a decent speaker. So, when a PR guru becomes a member, the women are glad of new blood.

Initially, the milk of WI kindness begins to sour when she re-brands them as the Bunnington Bunnies. They are hopping.

With stakes higher than a five-tiered cake stand, a battle ensues for the very soul of Bunnington, perhaps the WI itself!

On the threshold of one century into the next, this tale of hobbyists and lobbyists asks how much we should know our past or how much we should let go of it.

The production's cast will feature Thomas Cotran (Atalanta Forever, Mikron Theatre and Great Expectations, Dundee Rep/Horsecross Arts); Alice McKenna (Beauty and the Beast, Theatr Clwyd) and James McLean (Revolting Women, Mikron Theatre and A Christmas Carol, Derby Theatre) and newcomer Hannah Bainbridge.

Raising Agents is directed by Rachel Gee (A Dog's Tale, Mikron Theatre), designed by Celia Perkins (Dick Wittington, Oldham Coliseum), with music composed by the folk duo O'Hooley and Tidow and directed by Rebekah Hughes (Atalanta Forever, Mikron Theatre and Pride and Prejudice, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre).

Playwright Maeve Larkin said:

"I am so thrilled that Mikron Theatre will be restaging Raising Agents for their 50th Anniversary tour. As with the WI's old paradoxical motto 'Grave and Gay', it aims to transcend the sum of its parts by celebrating the timeless principles of community, activism and sisterhood."

Director Rachel Gee added:

"To direct for Mikron in our 50th year of touring, with such a brilliant show and team, is an honour and a pleasure. The WI is such an incredible story to share, and I know everyone will love the tales, trials and tribulations of the WI."

Based in the village of Marsden, at the foot of the Yorkshire Pennines, the company is 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.

Raising Agents will be touring nationally by river and on the road from 7 April till 22 October, alongside the premiere of Lindsay Rodden's new play Red Sky At Night.

For further information on Raising Agents and Red Sky At Night please visit http://mikron.org.uk

Tour Dates:

Fri 8th Apr, 7.00pm -OPENING NIGHT - Marsden Mechanics Hall, Huddersfield, HD7 6BW

·Sat 9th Apr, 7.00pm -Overton Memorial Hall, Lancashire, LA3 3HB

·Tue 12th Apr, 7.00pm -Square Chapel Centre for Arts, Halifax, HX1 1QG

·Wed 13th Apr, 7.00pm -Meltham Carlile Institute, Holmfirth, HD9 4AE

·Thu 14th Apr, 7.00pm -Bingley Arts Centre, Bingley, BD16 2LZ

·Fri 15th Apr, 7.30pm -Winsford Academy Theatre, Winsford, CW7 2BT

·Sat 16th Apr, 12.30pm -Huddersfield Deaf Centre, Huddersfield, HD1 4DN

·Sat 16th Apr, 7.30pm -The Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 9QX

·Tue 19th Apr, 7.30pm -Our Lady of Hope, Salford, M6 8JR

·Sat 21st May, 7.00pm -Lawrence Batley Theatre - EVENING, Huddersfield, HD1 2SP

·Wed 1st Jun, 7.00pm -The Poppy and Pint, Nottingham, NG2 5DXSat 4th Jun, 7.00pm -Chester Green, Derby, DE1 3SF

·Sun 5th Jun, 7.00pm -Great Houghton Village Hall, Northampton, NN4 0AN

·Tue 7th Jun, 7.00pm -Stirley Community Farm, Huddersfield, HD4 6RP

·Wed 8th Jun, 7.00pm -Plough Inn, Melton Mowbray, LE14 3AH

·Thu 9th Jun, 7.00pm -Snarestone Conery Playing Fields, Snarestone, DE12 7DB

·Wed 15th Jun, 7.00pm -The Admiral Nelson, Daventry, NN11 7HJ

·Fri 17th Jun, 7.00pm -The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne, NN12 7SE

·Sun 19th Jun, 2.00pm -Riseley Village Hall, Riseley, MK44 1EG

·Sat 25th Jun, 2.00pm -Framfield Allotments, Hanwell, W7 1ES

·Sun 26th Jun, 3.30pm - The Three Cranes Pub Garden, Turvey, MK43 8EP

·Fri 1st Jul, 7.30pm -Fishery Wharf Cafe, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1NA

·Sat 9th Jul, 7.00pm -The Poor Marsh Allotments and Community Garden, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6RD

·Thu 14th Jul, 7.00pm -Hurley Riverside Park Picnic Grounds, Berks, SL6 5NE

·Sat 16th Jul, 1.00pm -Rodborough Community Hall, Stroud, GL5 3TZ

·Tue 19th Jul, 7.00pm -Caversham Court, Reading, RG4 7AD

·Wed 20th Jul, 7.00pm -The Rowbarge, Reading, RG7 5SH

·Wed 27th Jul, 7.00pm -The Cunning Man, Reading, RG30 3RB

·Sun 31st Jul, 3.00pm -The Plough Inn, Long Wittenham, OX14 4QH

·Wed 3rd Aug, 7.00pm -Eynsham Cricket Club,Witney, OX29 4LF

·Fri 5th Aug, 7.00pm - Boat Inn,Kidlington, OX5 1JY

·Thu 11th Aug, 7.00pm -The Folly, Napton on the Hill, CV47 8NZ Folly bridge no 113, lock no 8

·Tue 16th Aug, 6.30pm -St Mary's Allotments,Leamington Spa, CV31 1DP

·Thu 25th Aug, 7.00pm -The Bridge House, Lock 2, Lapworth Top Lock,Solihull, B94 5NU

·Sun 11th Sep, 2.00pm -Raphael's Restaurant, Evesham, WR11 4BP

·Sat 17th Sep, 12.00pm -Tolson Museum, Huddersfield, HD5 8DJ

·Sun 18th Sep, 4.00pm -Clements Hall, York, YO23 1BW

·Sun 25th Sep, 2.30pm -Birch Community Centre, Manchester, M14 5JT

·Thu 29th Sep, 7.00pm -Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre, Oldham, OL1 1AL

·Thu 6th Oct, 7.30pm -Threlkeld Village Hall, Cumbria, CA12 4RX

·Sun 9th Oct, 1.00pm -Ewanrigg Community Centre, Maryport, CA15 8HN

·Mon 10th Oct, 7.30pm -Strawberry Island Boat Club, Doncaster, DN1 2SU

·Wed 12th Oct, 7.00pm -Snainton Village Hall, Scarborough, YO13 9AF

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