Following their hugely successful touring productions of Get Well Soon and Revolting Women, the award winning Mikron Theatre are set to pays tribute to all the wartime women who pushed the door to opportunity firmly open in Vashti Maclachlan’s (Revolting Women, Mikron Theatre) new play All Hands On Deck: A Tale of Two Wrens.
New WRNS recruits Ginger and Lily, are looking for wartime adventure. Lily wants to serve on dry land, but Ginger is desperate to serve at sea – and the sailors can’t believe their luck!
Full of dots, dashes, semaphore and song, Ginger and Lily find themselves in uncharted waters on a journey they’ll never forget.
The new play will start its national tour at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield on the 13 April and then tour around the UK by road and river until the 19 October.
All Hands On Deck: A Tale of Two Wrens is directed by Mikron Theatre’s Artistic DirectorMarianne McNamara , designed by Celia Perkins, music composed and lyrics by Kieran Buckeridge with the music directed by Rebekah Hughes. The cast will feature Christopher Arkeston, Elizabeth Robin, Joshua Cosidine and Rachel Benson.
Playwright and former Mikron actor, Vashti Maclachlan, who penned last year’s ‘Revolting Women’ has had a great time steering the ship on All Hands On Deck. “It’s been a pleasure to write again for Mikron in its 48th year and an honour to shine a spotlight on the tireless women who gave their all to shape a Women’s Royal Navy Service fit for the future.” “I love Mikron's theatrical style, lively and accessible, often with a social conscience. You laugh a lot at a Mikron play,
Director Marianne McNamara added: “I’ve always been interested in the Wrens. They’ve been suggested as an interesting subject matter by a number of audience members who were related to Wrens. There are plenty plays about the war but not that many that explore women's contributions to the war. It’s been fascinating to research their story and to celebrate their endeavours.”
In 2019, Mikron Theatre Company will embark on their 48th year of touring. Based in the village of Marsden, at the foot of the Yorkshire Pennines, Mikron Theatre Company The company are like no other. For starters, they tour for most of the year on board a vintage narrowboat, secondly, they put on their shows in places that other theatre companies wouldn’t dream of; a play about growing-your-own shown in allotments, a play about bees performed next to hives, a play about chips to audiences in a fish and chips restaurant, as well as plays about hostelling in YHA Youth hostels and the RNLI at several Lifeboat stations around the UK.
All Hands On Deck: A Tale of Two Wrens, will be touring nationally in the Summer alongside Nick Ahad’s new play about Butlins – Redcoats.
ALL HANDS ON DESK TOUR DATES – APR-OCT
Sat 13th Apr 7.30pm -Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, HD1 2SPPRESS NIGHT
Tue 16th Apr 7.30pm -Meltham Carlile Community Hub, Holmfirth, HD9 4AE
Wed 17th Apr 7.30pm -Cat Asylum Brewery, Newark, NG23 7NP
Fri 19th Apr 8.00pm -Millgate Arts Centre, Delph, OL3 5DY
Sat 20th Apr 7.30pm -Winsford Academy Theatre, Winsford, CW7 2BT
Tue 23rd Apr 7.30pm -The Leggers Inn, Dewsbury, WF12 9BD
Wed 24th Apr 7.30pm -Our Lady Of Hope (Formally known as St Peter & Paul's Church), Manchester, M6 8JR
Wed 22nd May 6.45pm -Wetherby Whaler, Guiseley, LS20 8LZ
Sat 25th May 12.30pm -Stirley Community Farm, Huddersfield, HD4 6RP
Thu 30th May 7.30pm -The Poppy and Pint, Nottingham, NG2 5DX
Fri 31st May 7.30pm -Market Harborough Congregational Church Hall, Market Harborough, LE16 7JD
Sat 1st Jun 7.30pm -The Amphitheatre, Corby, NN17 5ER
Wed 5th Jun 7.30pm -Wharf Inn, Welford, NN6 6JQ
Sat 8th Jun 12.30pm -Nottingham Road & District Allotment Association, Derby, DE21 6PJ
Sun 9th Jun 3.00pm -Swan in the Rushes, Loughborough, LE11 5BE
Wed 12th Jun 7.30pm -The Admiral Nelson, Daventry, NN11 7HJ
Sat 15th Jun 1.00pm -The Old Rectory, Northampton, NN7 3BJ
Sun 16th Jun 3.00pm -Lionhearts Cruising Club, Milton Keynes, MK14 5EL
Thu 20th Jun 7.30pm -The Globe Inn, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2TA
Sat 22nd Jun 7.30pm -The Waterwitch, Odiham, RG29 1AL
Tue 25th Jun 7.30pm-The Rising Sun, Berkhamsted, HP4 2EG
Thu 27th Jun 7.30pm -The Three Horseshoes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 2RZ
Sat 29th Jun 1.00pm -Horsenden Farm, Greenford, UB6 7PB
Fri 12th Jul 7.30pm -Hurley Riverside Park Picnic Grounds, Berks, SL6 5NE
Sun 14th Jul 2.00pm -Caversham Court, Reading, RG4 7AD
Wed 17th Jul 7.30pm -The Rowbarge, Reading, RG7 5SH
Sat 20th Jul 7.30pm -Randwick Village Hall, Stroud, GL6 6HS
Sun 21st Jul 3.00pm -Donnington Parish Hall, Chichester, PO19 8QT
Thu 25th Jul 3.30pm -Waterfront Cafe Benson - AFTERNOON, Benson, OX10 6SJ
Fri 26th Jul 7.30pm -Goring Lock, Goring, RG8 9AE
Sat 27th Jul 2.00pm -Alcester War Memorial Town Hall - AFTERNOON, Alcester, B49 5QX –
Wed 31st Jul 6.30pm -Foundry Wood, Leamington Spa, CV31 3PH
Fri 2nd Aug 7.30pm -Eynsham Cricket Club, Witney, OX29 4LF
Thu 15th Aug 7.30pm -The Wharf Inn, Southam, CV47 2FE
Sat 17th Aug 7.30pm -The Two Boats Inn, Southam, CV47 9QZ
Wed 21st Aug 7.30pm -The Weighbridge, Alvechurch, B48 7SQ
Sat 14th Sep 12.00pm -Tolson Museum, Huddersfield, HD5 8DJ
Thu 19th Sep 7.30pm -Square Chapel Centre for Arts, Halifax, HX1 1QG
Sun 22nd Sep 4.00pm -Clements Hall, York, YO23 1BW
Fri 27th Sep 7.30pm -Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, DL10 4DW
Sun 29th Sep 2.00pm -Old Malton War Memorial Hall, Malton, YO17 7HD
Sat 5th Oct 7.30pm -The Cluntergate Centre, Wakefield, WF4 5DA
Thu 10th Oct 7.30pm -Threlkeld Village Hall, Cumbria, CA12 4RX
Sat 19th Oct 7.30pm - Marsden Mechanics Hall, Huddersfield, HD7 6BW
More dates to be confirmed.
