Mikron Theatre Celebrates 50 Years with RAISING AGENTS

Mikron Theatre will celebrate their 50th anniversary of touring Mikron with a revival of their hugely successful 2015 touring production of Maeve Larkin's (Best Foot Forward, Mikron Theatre) play about the Women's Institute- Raising Agents.

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.

Featuring music written by Mikron's acclaimed 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 8 April and will then tour around the UK by road and river until late October

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 tours till late October and will tour with the new play Red Sky At Night.