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Hell and High Water - Mikron Theatre Company At Braunston Boat Rally 2011

When Marianne McNamara, the Artistic Director of Yorkshire-based theatre company, Mikron, commissioned a new show about the building of the Bridgewater Canal, she didn’t realise that the title of the piece would so accurately reflect the recent history of the company itself.

“We’d had a difficult year in 2010, financially, and it seemed we could be faced with having to close the company, we called an emergency meeting and the board decided that we had to make it through to this, our 40th year, however we could.”

Mikron have been touring since 1972, spending the summers on board their 70 year old narrowboat, Tyseley and bringing their own brand of theatre, music and humour to venues along the waterways.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the company’s fans, many of them boaters themselves, Mikron raised the staggering sum needed to make this year’s tour happen. “We are just incredulous to see how much support and goodwill our followers have shown us,” she continues, “and when Sue McCormick sent me the first draft of the script, I saw the title and laughed out loud, it sums up the determination to make this year happen so perfectly”.

Hell and High Water, a newly commissioned script, with original music by Rebekah Hughes, is a story of determination and tenacity, told by the talented company of four actor/musicians. In traditional Mikron style, the actors play dozens of characters from the flamboyant Duke of Bridgewater to the hardy female miner, Mary; bringing the human stories to the historical facts.

Mikron's new show for 2011, directed by Mike Lucas takes us back to 1761, when three men had a vision and hundreds of others toiled to make it a reality.

In 1761 there were two earthquakes in London, a transit of Venus was observed, George the Third was crowned and, on July 17th, the first boatload of coals traveled along the Barton Aqueduct on the Bridgewater Canal - the engineering marvel that was the wonder of its age.

In the turbulent times of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester's demand for coal was insatiable and there was an urgent need to get it there quickly and cheaply. Over rivers, under rock, through "Hell and High Water", the Duke of Bridgewater, James Brindley and John Glibert proved that determination can literally move mountains.

Mike Lucas, one of the company’s founders is delighted to be directing Hell and High Water, “this is such a special season for Mikron, being our 40th year, and it’s really great to be coming back to the subject of canals which has always been such an important part of our work over the years.”

Hell and High Water will be at the Braunston Historic Boat Rally on Wednesday 22nd June 2011. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets priced at £10 (£8) are available from the Marina: 01788 891373 or online at www.braunstonmarina.co.uk

This is the 9th of Braunston Marina's hugely popular working narrowboats rally - the UK's largest, where over 80 historic boats gather and take part in parades with commentary.

There is also a real ale beer tent, exhibitors, traders & waterways artists, an open air Songs of Praise church service on Sunday, live music from bands & groups, Morris dancing, fast food, and boat horse demonstrations.

For more detail sof the rally visit www.braunstonmarina.co.uk

The show then tours nationally by both road and waterways until the end of October. A full schedule is available on Mikron’s website
http://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.