Who What Where

Multi-award-winning Mikron was founded in 1972.

2024 marks our 52nd year of touring exceptional theatre in extraordinary places. We’re the UK’s most prolific theatre company, touring to over 130 venues per year.

We tour on our narrowboat, Tyseley, in the summer and by road in spring and autumn, to every conceivable type of venue, reaching audiences that other companies cannot.

Mikron Miscellany 2024

We estimate that by the end of 52nd year of touring we will have:

    • written 70 original shows
    • composed and written 422 songs
    • issued over 248 actor musician contracts
    • boated for 35,686 hours on the inland waterways
    • covered 567,000 road miles
    • performed over 5487 times
    • performed to over 460,966 people

We have performed at allotments, care homes, community centres, dry docks, festivals, lifeboat stations, pubs, rallies, restaurants, village halls, Youth Hostels. We’ve even performed inside a tunnel, in the bows of a docked boat, for naturist audiences, in people’s very own front rooms and even the odd theatre.

 

We tell stories of uniquely British things

In our 2024 season we once again explore two fascinating British stories.

Jennie Lee – The extraordinary life and adventures of the radical MP you never heard of

and

Common Ground – Grab your boots and waterproof, and join Mikron for a hike through history

For a full list of our previous shows/cast members, have a gander at our All the Plays, All the Actors pages

 

What’s in a Name?

Mikron Theatre Company began when Mike Lucas, Sarah Cameron and Ron Legge took a show to the Edinburgh festival in 1963.

Mikron was named after MIKe, RON and Sarah CameRON.

Mikron is the Greek word for small. Small we were and small, in the best sense of the word, we still are.

The Mikron seed was sown in 1963 when Mike Lucas, a jobbing actor, realised that his mission was to take theatre to unusual venues and new audiences outside of London.

Today we still hold fast his original principles, touring the country with shows which both inform and entertain.

It was during a boating holiday that the truly unique aspect of Mikron came to be.

Mike, having spent many hours enjoying the atmospheres of the canalside pubs and sampling their local brews, realised that travelling by canal would really give his company a way to reach audiences and venues that may be too “out of the way” for regular touring companies.

 

In the beginning

So in 1972 Mikron took the plunge and toured our first play written for the waterways; “Still Waters”. One or two of us have taken the plunge since – usually unintentionally!

Tour booking and press was done by Sarah from the back cabin of the boat and, with a large bag of ten pence pieces, a stool and a local payphone, she would book and promote tours. Cast members used to research and co-write the shows, which were directed by Mike Lucas. Mike also performed for the company for many years.

Mikron is now famous for its national waterways tour, aboard the 1936 Grand Union Carrying Company narrowboat, Tyseley. First used by Mikron in 1975, she has been our floating home ever since.

How the Tours Worked

Mike ran the company until 2005 when his role was split between Richard Povall (Artistic Director) and Peter Toon (General Manager). In Winter 2009 Marianne McNamara took on the Artistic Director role and Pete became Producer, with Richard stepping out of the day to day running of the company.

To read more and listen to Mike Lucas chat about the company see this wonderful Unfinished Histories website.

 

Watch ‘It’s the narrowboat show’ from 1977

Right now

We’re honoured to be one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations.

Mikron is officially one of the country’s leading arts organisations for the Arts Council’s 2023-26 funding period. To say we’re happy is an understatement – this support sees Mikron sail into the middle of our 6th decade of touring.

We really wouldn’t be in this privileged situation without you, our wonderful, loyal audiences. We thank you all.

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