MIKRON Theatre Company's new play Best Foot Forward will take a hike through the history of youth hostelling on a nationwide tour from March 28 to October 20.

After visiting York with both of their 2016 shows, Pure and Canary Girls, the long-running West Yorkshire company will launch Maeve Larkin's premiere officially with a national press day at YHA York, Water End, York, on March 30 at 7.30pm.

The play will be performed in youth hostels throughout England, as well as in libraries; pubs; fish and chip restaurants; galleries; community centres; allotments; community gardens; woodland; museums; churches; hotels; village greens; town halls; cafés and theatres.

In Best Foot Forward, something’s afoot at Pearling Manor and it isn’t just the walkers. The beautiful hostel, rich in Youth Hostels Association history, is lovely but falling apart and external forces want to turn it into a golf club. Cue Connie, first ever warden, with a heart as big as her rucksack, to take audiences on a journey through YHA’s past in the hope of securing its future.

Larkin's play will be directed by the Marsden company's artistic director, Marianne McNamara, and designed by Kate Morton, who previously did the design for Mikron's fish-and-chips play, One Of Each.

The show's music will be composed by Kieran Buckeridge, whose credits include writing music for Up Down at Salisbury Playhouse and War Game at Bristol Old Vic, and the musical director will be Rebekah Hughes, a familiar name to Yorkshire theatregoers from her work with Northern Broadsides. The cast will be announced in the coming months.

Best Foot Forward is Larkin's fifth play for Mikron, in the wake of Raising Agents, her celebration of the centenary of Women's Institutes, in 2015; Troupers in 2014; Don't Shoot The Messenger in 2013 and Can You Keep A Secret? The Rise And Fall Of The Yorkshire Luddites in 2012.

"I'm chuffed to be back with Mikron, with a subject close to my heart," she says. "Writing for Mikron about the YHA felt like a marriage of minds, and as both have an appetite for wanderlust the passion is kept alive! It's been a pleasure to write."

Director Marianne McNamara adds: "In our 46th year of touring, we're thrilled to welcome back Maeve after the huge success of Raising Agents, our Women's Institute play in 2015. Maeve has brought her trademark humour, pathos and faultless research to Best Foot Forward.

"We're so excited to be touring the show all year to both youth hostels and our regular non-theatre venues. The YHA have been amazing to work with and we can't wait to welcome audiences across the nation to one of our 150 venues."

In 2017, Mikron will embark on their 46th tour, travelling around the country by the inland waterways on their vintage narrowboat, Tyseley, to perform not only Best Foot Forward but also Laurence Peacock's new play In At The Deep End, in celebration of 200 years of the RNLI. Each year Mikron contract a company of four actor-musicians and commission two shows with original music, each show being "rooted in social and contemporary history, telling the stories of ordinary people caught up in big events".

For more information on Best Foot Forward's tour schedule, visit mikron.org.uk. Performances include YHA Boggle Hole, Mill Beck, Fylingthorpe, Whitby, on May 13 at 7.30pm; Georgian Theatre, Richmond, September 29, 7.30pm, and Old Malton War Memorial Hall, Malton, September 30.