Mikron Theatre 2025 Tour: Hush Hush! and Operation Beach Hut

Established in 1972, Mikron Theatre offer a unique theatrical experience in multiple locations each year as they tour two shows. In the summer months this is done mostly via the waterways of England, and the cast, instruments and sets are transported to each tour venue on a 72-foot narrowboat, Tyseley. With an Environmental Policy to be admired, they are conscious about their impact and mindful to take the show to places where audiences can be made up largely of local people who can easily travel on foot, by boat, or by public transport to the venue.

Often hosted by pubs or restaurants, it’s possible to combine a meal out with catching a show in a new environment each time. The shows are full length productions starring four actor-musicians. Each performance is carried out without any assistance from stage managers, or complicated lighting or sound technology. It’s a wonderful and rather unique experience to witness absolutely everything being done by these four cast members, in natural light (until the daylight fades) using minimal props and instruments to create the sounds and items needed as part of the story. If the weather should decide to do its thing (as it did during the interval when I saw the show) they will also seamlessly construct a gazebo around the backstage area to protect the instruments and kit from the rain.

The cast for 2025 is made up of James McLean, Georgina Liley, Rob Took and Catherine Warnock. With just four performers, you could imagine there were only four characters in this show but each of them played multiple characters, with different additions to their costumes to denote the changes and the use of many different accents. With little “backstage” area (just the space behind the set) and no wings whatsoever, the cast were in view for most of the performance time.  At times when they were not needed on stage, they would stand to the side almost motionless, which was interesting to observe in itself, not least as these moments were often when a transition between playing different characters took place.

Hush Hush!  was written by Lucie Raine, and from the programme I discovered this was her professional writing debut. The story was well written, and the character arcs were gripping, I felt so absorbed by the show it was like being dropped into a moment in history at Bletchley Park during World War 2.

Composer Greg Last and Musical Director Robert Cooper ensured the songs were beautiful.  A highlight for me was Do Their Mothers Miss them Too? which brought home the reality of the human loss involved with war, and the ensemble harmonies in the final song, The Darkest Hour were exceptional.

I wasn’t there to review the show, as such, but if I had been it would have received a full five stars. The casting was absolutely perfect and it should be noted that these performers also deal with everything else involved on the night; programme and merchandise sales, managing donations, everything really - they don't get any downtime from the moment they leave the boat to when the last person leaves the venue, alongside being in view for the majority of the time the show is taking place. It takes a special kind of person to fulfil this role. Mikron Theatre is full of them.

Mikron Theatre is a non-profit making company and registered as a charity.  As such, they do have a need for financial support, but there are no tickets to be bought in advance. Instead, you are invited to donate when you leave, which I gladly did. This wonderful policy instantly opens theatre up to anyone. There is also merchandise on offer at the shows and in the Mikron online shop, as well as an ongoing raffle. Their programmes are a wonderful souvenir and contain a lot of information about Mikron and the shows they are touring, currently and during the following year.

Hush Hush! is currently touring alongside Operation Beach Hut, which is about British seaside resorts. The tour continues through the summer and early autumn, and you can find out where to catch it via the website here.

• I saw Hush Hush! at The Plough Inn in Long Wittenham on Tuesday 29^th July 2025.  The venue had put in a lot of effort with shelter and a some chairs available, and they offered fish and chips to be ordered before the show ready for the interval.  This was very well organised with everyone who ordered being issued a ticket before the show and then collecting a box which contained not only the food but also sauces and cutlery during the interval. The food was delicious. Highly recommended!