RED SKY AT NIGHT Will Tour Beginning in May

The prolific Huddersfield theatre company Mikron is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary tour this May with the premiere of Red Sky at Night, Lindsay Rodden's (Here, Northern Stage and Curious Monkey and The Story Giant, Everyman Theatre Liverpool) new play about the nation's obsession with the wild and wonderful world of weather.

Directed by Mikron Theatre's Artistic Director Marianne McNamara, Red Sky At Night will premiere at the Marsden Mechanics Hall on 14 May and then tour by river and on the road till 21 October.

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!

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.

Red Sky At Night is 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 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 from 14 May till 21 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

Tour Dates

Sat 14th May, 7.00pm -OPENING NIGHT - Marsden Mechanics Hall, Huddersfield, HD7 6BW

Tue 17th May, 7.00pm -Cat Asylum Brewery, Newark, NG23 7NP

Wed 18th May, 6.30pm -Grimesthorpe Allotments, Sheffield, S4 8LE

Sat 21st May, 3.00pm -Lawrence Batley Theatre - Huddersfield, HD1 2SP

Sun 22nd May, 2.00pm - Scarcroft Allotments, York, YO23 1NE

Tue 31st May, 7.30pm -Wharf Inn, Welford, NN6 6JQ

Thu 2nd Jun, 7.30pm -Victoria Hotel, Nottingham, NG9 1JG

Mon 6th Jun, 1.00pm -Clock Warehouse, Shardlow, DE72 2GL

Tue 7th Jun, 7.00pm -The Red Lion Inn, Crick, NN6 7TX

Fri 10th Jun, 7.30pm -The Wycliffe Rooms, Lutterworth, LE17 4ED

Sat 11th Jun, 7.30pm -St Peter's Parish Hall, Market Bosworth, CV13 0LL

Sun 12th Jun, 2.00pm -The Amphitheatre, Corby, NN17 5ER

Thu 16th Jun, 7.00pm -The Admiral Nelson, Daventry, NN11 7HJ

Sat 18th Jun, 4.00pm - The Old Rectory, Blisworth, NN7 3BJ

Wed 22nd Jun, 7.00pm -The Globe Inn, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2TA

Thu 30th Jun, 7.30pm - Fishery Wharf Cafe, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1NA

Wed 6th Jul, 7.00pm -Zapato Brewery, Huddersfield, HD7 6LS

Fri 8th Jul, 7.00pm - Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre, Oldham, OL1 1AL

Tue 12th Jul, 7.00pm -Bourne End WI - Spade Oak Farm, Bourne End, SL8 5PS

Fri 15th Jul, 7.00pm -Eyot Centre, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 3JD

Sat 16th Jul, 7.30pm - Randwick Village Hall, Stroud, GL6 6HS

Sun 24th Jul, 2.00pm -Bloomfield Road Allotments, Bath, BA2 2AB

Tue 26th Jul, 7.00pm -The Rowbarge, Reading, RG7 5SH

Thu 18th Aug, 7.00pm - The Two Boats Inn, Southam, CV47 9QZ

Thu 18th Aug, 7.30pm - Rowington Village Hall, Rowington, CV35 7DB

Sun 21st Aug, 2.00pm - Foundry Wood, Leamington Spa, CV31 3PH

Fri 9th Sep, 7.30pm - Winsford Academy Theatre, Winsford, CW7 1AS

Tue 20th Sep, 6.45pm - Wetherby Whaler, Guiseley, LS20 8LZ

Thu 22nd Sep, 7.00pm - Bingley Arts Centre, Bingley, BD16 2LZ

Fri 23rd Sep, 7.30pm -Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, DL10 4DW

Sun 2nd Oct, 2.00pm - Hesketh Bank Community Centre, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6SR

Mon 3rd Oct, 7.30pm - Leyland Historical Society, Leyland, PR25 1DH

Wed 5th Oct, 8.00pm - Millgate Arts Centre, Delph, OL3 5DY

Fri 7th Oct, 7.00pm - Great Strickland Village Hall, Penrith, CA10 3DF

Sat 8th Oct, 8.00pm - The Gaskell Memorial Hall, Silverdale, LA5 0RA

Mon 17th Oct, 7.30pm - East Cottingwith Village Hall, York, YO42 4TL