The stars have aligned this year to enable me to see both of Mikron’s 2026 productions at the beginning of their national tours. After Top Of The Wold, dealing with a mobile library serving East Yorkshire, we have this cheese-based offering set in the North of God’s Own County. Actually God played a big part in the play, not literally of course, his agent was asking far too much money for the offertory and a diva amount of bread and wine in the green room. His contribution was, therefore, limited to being the influence behind the resurrection – not that one – of an ancient variety of cheese, which had long since been discontinued.
Rob Took, Catherine Warnock, James McLean, and Georgina Liley. The white shoulder wear indicating the they were in monk spirit mode. Later they would kick the habit.
The Almighty got involved via the conduit of long deceased Cistercian monks at Jervaulx Abbey in Wensleydale, who were seeking a living presence through whom they could restart production of their original creation – not that one either. OK, enough of the religious wordplay, but brace yourself for some of the cheesy type.
This show follows the normal format of Mikron productions, in that it is not only entertaining, but also educational, with comedy, songs and lots of information. It begins with Sylvie, a city girl who has been brought to Wensleydale by her late husband, scattering his ashes in the grounds of Jervaulx Abbey, they having just bought an adjacent farm which he was going to turn into a glamping site. It didn’t get off the ground as he lost interest – and a load of money. Deep in debt and newly bereaved, Sylvie has to sort out the estate and try to make a go of the farm in some other way.
Georgina Liley, Catherine Warnock – hippy chick, Rob Took and James McLean
As luck, and the writer, Lucie Raine, would have it, an unemployed local artisan cheesemaker turns up and persuades Sylvie to convert the barn into a fromagerie. This draws the attention of the spirits of the Cistercian monks who inhabited the abbey until Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the middle of the sixteenth century. The Cistercians originated in France and made Roquefort cheese from sheep’s milk, the recipe for which they brought to Yorkshire and was the basis for the original Wensleydale. The holy ghosts (oops ) see this as their opportunity.
The enterprise goes through some good and bad times, mainly because of friction between Sylvie and her neighbour, Farmer Corrin, who didn’t take kindly to yuppies bringing their fancy city ways to the countryside.
The four actors involved play several colourful characters, Sylvie’s sister being one, who wanted the original plan to be reinstated so that she could run a yoga retreat, and entrepreneur Mr Cheese, who helped them publicise their product. The latter was a cross between a 1950’s rock’n’roll singer and a country and western performer, complete with ten-gallon hat, guitar, cowboy boots and pelvic thrusts. He could have stepped straight out of Sun Records studio in Memphis, where he might have been rubbing shoulders with the other greats of the time such as Dairy Lee Lewis, obviously accompanied by Carl Gherkins (I did warn you). Needless to say, all ends well, with the cheese garnering awards and the neighbourly dispute being resolved.
Catherine Warnock, Rob Took – aka Mr Cheese, Georgina Liley and James Mclean
As usual, the acting, comedy-timing, singing and musicianship, from Catherine Warnock, Georgina Liley, James McLean and Rob Took, were all first class, providing a much needed way to forget the troubles of the world for a couple of hours.
The songs, ranging from Gregorian chants, full of cheeseplay, to rockabilly, were written by Amal El-Sawad, the set and costumes designed by Celia Perkins with Elvi Piper directing the show. The rest of the culprits were Tom Blackmore, Production Manager; Pete Toon, Producer; Rachel Root, General Manager/Choreographer and Jo English, Administrator.
In view of the original Wensleydale cheese being made from sheep’s milk I would have thought that Sylvie might have expanded the range to introduce a soft variety from cow’s milk. Perhaps the Truckle Brothers could have taken production to Brie to ewe, to ewe to Brie. Sorry, I couldn’t resist one last cringer.
Should you wish to find out more about both this show and Top Of The Wold, along with tour dates and booking information, please go to https://mikron.org.uk/
To see what else is coming to Bingley Arts Centre click on https://www.bingleyartscentre.co.uk/whats-on
Photographs provided by Mikron
Tyke It To The Limit 