A THEATRE company that tours the UK by canal is bringing a play to Worcester highlighting one of the greatest ironies of all time.

All Steamed Up is based on the life and times of Richard Trevithick, the Cornish engineer and, despite what history says, the inventor of the world's first self-propelled steam engine.

"People always think of Stephenson's Rocket," said Charley Moon, who plays Trevithick in the play. "Sometimes they remember the name from school in a physics lesson.

"He led quite an extraordinary life. He invented the first steam-propelled engine, but he never marketed it. He was always more interested in inventing things."

Trevithick's life included an 11-year journey to the silver mines of South America, where he made and lost his fortune.

While there, he also met revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar, was almost eaten by an alligator, and crossed the Panama Canal in a canoe.

In a final irony, when Trevithick was penniless in South America, he had to borrow money for his fare home from Robert Stephenson, the man history would credit as inventing the steam engine.

"It's a very poignant scene in the play when Trevithick and Stephenson meet," said Charley.

All Steamed Up is one of two plays Mikron is bringing to Worcester via the canal in its 31st year of touring the waterways.

The second, Warehouse Hill, tells the story of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, re-opened in 2001 after many years of dereliction.

"The play is also about people, and those people who were involved in it - from the navvies who built it to the canal enthusiasts, 200 years later, who believed in the impossible restoration," he added.

Both plays mix action and music to tell their stories and are original works by the Mikron Theatre Company.

The company's artistic director, Mike Lucas, wrote the plays with co-writer Jim Woodland, who also supplies the music and lyrics.

As well as Charley Moon, the cast includes Kate Buxton, Shelley Halstead, and Peter Toon.

"The plays have the common themes of environment and transport, as well as the interests of Mike Lucas," said Mr Moon.

"The first season Mikron went on to the waterways, we did Shakespeare but we scrapped that after one season.

"We found there was so much history on the canals themselves that we wrote our own show."

All four performers live on the 66-year-old narrowboat called The Tyseley while they're on tour and use it to transport all their gear.

"We don't actually perform the shows on the narrowboat," added Charley, while navigating a lock near the Watford Gap.

"We moor up and perform in venues. In Worcester, we're performing in the Commandery."

The only downside with travel by water is that it takes a great deal of time to get from one place to another.

"It would take us all day to go from Warwick to Birmingham," said Charley.

All Steamed Up will be performed at the Commandery in Sidbury, at 8pm, on Tuesday, July 30.

Throughout the first two weeks of August, the show will stop at venues such as Elmley Castle Community Hall, Peopleton Village Hall, Number 8 High Street, Pershore, and Aston-under-hill Village Hall.

The final date in the county will be on Wednesday, August 14, with a performance of Warehouse Hill at the Camp House pub, in Grimley, near Worcester.

For further information, contact Louise Fenton, arts development office at Wychavon District Council, on 01386 565102 or log onto www.mikron.org.uk