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Boats and Brews - Mikron Theatre Company’s “Beer Street” opens at the National Brewery Centre

Mikron Theatre Company's show, "Beer Street" is one of the two Mikron shows touring the country this year. A lively, rumbustious show, it tells the story of pubs and beer and the part that they have always played in society.

Mikron first took to the waterways in the early seventies to tour their first play; “Still Waters” picture above..

Beer Street was first produced in 1994 and the decision to re-stage the show came about through happy co-incidence as director, Marianne McNamara explains, "There are some shows which are dear to our audiences hearts, and many years later, people will come up and tell us how much they enjoyed a particular show and how much they would love to see it again. Beer Street is one of these and we've talked about reviving it for a few years now. When we realised that 2011 would mark our 40th year of touring and that it was also the 40th birthday of CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale), it seemed like perfect timing."

As Mikron is a company who tour by Narrowboat with the aim of taking shows into non-theatre venues, a majority of their venues are pubs, many of them canalside, so a show about beer and pubs is a natural choice for the company and their audiences.

The recession has hit the industry hard, with total sales of beer in Britain declining, and pubs closing at the alarming rate of 40 a week, but the pub still remains at the heart of British culture and Mikron is delighted to be playing their part in keeping pubs alive. Adrian Palmer, who has toured with the company for five years explains, “Many of the pubs we visit have special memories and traditions for me - and of course, there’s the friendliness of the landlords and the excellence of the beer.” Mikron often provides a welcome boost to the pubs they perform in, and they are a regular fixture on the calendar at many venues. Marianne, who herself started out as an actor with the company, enjoys the atmosphere at the shows, “it’s great to see the audience enjoying a pint, a bite to eat and being entertained at the same time”.

And entertainment is what Beer Street all about; as well as outlining the history of brewing from 13th century monks, to modern day micro-brewing, the audience meets the regulars as Phil and Jen get to grips with life as publicans. One of the highlights of the show has always been the song “Happy Hour Again” with its 137 different words for drunkenness!

As always with Mikron, the show is a lively mixture of information, fun and live music, presented in the company's traditional fast paced style. When it toured last, the Northampton Mercury noted, "Any pub regular, real ale enthusiast or just plain beer drinker would find plenty to appreciate in the show which proves that beer lies almost as close to the hearts of the writers as their love of canals"

In addition to the tour, and to mark the company's 40th anniversary, independent brewers, Castle Rock are producing a special ale, Rock The Boat, which will be available in venues throughout the tour.

Beer Street opens at the National Brewery Centre on Saturday, May 21st and then tours alongside a second show, "Hell and High Water", which tells the story of the building of the Bridgewater Canal.

Local Venues throughout May 2011:

Burton upon Trent Beer Street **Opening Night**
Saturday, 21 May 2011 7.30PM
The National Brewery Centre, Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1NG.
Tel: 01283 538 615 Tickets £10.00 (Concs. £8.00) www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk
Buy tickets online www.mikron.org.uk

West Bridgford, Nottingham Beer Street
Tuesday, 24 May 2011 7.30PM
The Poppy and Pint, Pierrepont Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5DX.
Tel: 0115 981 9995

Fiskerton, Southwell Hell and High Water
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 7.30PM
Bromley Arms, Main St, Fiskerton, Southwell, NG25 OUL.
Tel: 01636 830 789
Food available 6pm - 9pm
www.thebromleyarmsfiskerton.co.uk

Beeston, Nottingham Beer Street
Tuesday, 26 May 2011 8.00PM
Victoria Hotel , 85 Dovecote Lane , Beeston , Nottingham , NG9 1JG.
Tel: 01159 254049 Tickets £8.00
www.victoriabeeston.co.uk
Food served until 7.30pm. Bookings taken for parties of 6 or more

Shardlow Hell and High Water
Friday, 27 May 2011 7.30PM
Clock Warehouse, London Wharf , Shardlow, DE72 2HL .
Tel: 01332 792844
Food available

Loughborough Beer Street
Saturday, 28 May 2011 7.30PM
Swan in the Rushes, 21 The Rushes, LE11 5BE.
Tel: 01509 217014
www.swanintherushes.co.uk

Southwell Beer Street
Tuesday, 31 May 2011 7.30PM
The Hearty Goodfellow, 81 Church Street, NG25 0HQ.
Tel: 01636 812365
Real Ale Pub. Open from 5pm. BBQ from 6.30pm. Bring a rug or a chair.

National tour dates for both shows can be found at:

www.mikron.org.uk/tourDates.php

Mikron Theatre Company tour on their narrowboat, Tyseley, in the summer and by road in the autumn, to every conceivable type of venue; reaching audiences that other companies cannot.

Mikron first took to the waterways in the early seventies to tour their first play; “Still Waters”. And 40 years on Mikron is proud of its reputation as the little theatre company which tackles large scale subjects and turns history into vivid and dramatic entertainment.
Based in Marsden, at the foot of the Yorkshire Pennines, Mikron Theatre Company annually contract a company of four actor-musicians and commission two shows with original music. The shows, routed in social history, tell the stories of ordinary people caught up in big events, always in a way which is witty, fun and accessible.

Mikron venues are typically canalside places which don’t generally see theatre; pubs, fields, village halls, and the company arrive with a minimum of set and props, but the skill and ingenuity of the Mikron team give the audience an evening as satisfying and memorable as any West End show.