THERE’S lots to look forward to at the Mercury Theatre this winter.
Many great productions are set to tread the boards at the Colchester city centre theatre over the winter months.
A thrilling new adaptation of Metamorphosis, which was reviewed by Gazette reporter Seamus O’Hanlon, came to a close yesterday.
Avalon Theatre will present its monthly The Comedy Network comedy night in the Mercury Studio on December 1, following a comedy night on Friday this week.
December’s line-up will feature Laura Smyth, who has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Matty Hutson from BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, and Alex Kitson, a finalist in the First Laugh Awards 2020.
The theatre will also be hosting a free Chai Lates event, celebrating the creative arts of the local South Asian communities over Chai and Chaats on November 16 in the Mercury’s café bar.
Alongside Colchester Pride and the Terrence Higgins Trust, the theatre will also present an evening of participation, remembrance, inclusion, information, education and performance to mark World Aids Day on December 1.
This special free evening in the Mercury’s café bar, presented as part of the Lates programme, will include guest speakers, performances and charity stalls.
In creating a safe space in which to gather, there will also be an opportunity for reflection, remembrance and a candle-lit one-minute silence. The line-up includes Colchester-based drag queens Shar Cooterie and Aria Close.
Sanskruti Dance will present Magical Honey in the Mercury Studio on November 25. The show follows Maya as she needs to find a little bit of magic to combat Miss Tusra and restore the beauty of her enchanting world.
The Mercury Theatre’s annual pantomime, this year Sleeping Beauty, will run over the festive season from November 25 to January 14.
This year’s panto has broken box office records with 75 per cent of tickets already sold.
Running alongside Sleeping Beauty in the Mercury Studio will be Little Angel Theatre’s production of Me from December 13 to January 7.
The early years favourite, which follows a baby penguin finding his feet in the world, is a lovely and touching story about a parent and their love for their child by much-loved children’s author Emma Dodd, brought to life through puppetry.
A Victoria Wood tribute show will be held in the Mercury Studio on November 30, offering a whistle-stop tour of 21 of Victoria’s best-loved songs, including the hilarious Ballad of Barry & Freda and the classic It Would Never Have Worked.
Tom Walker, who is best known as the character Jonathan Pie, will return to the Mercury Theatre with his new show Jonathan Pie & Friends which runs between December 12 and 14.
The theatre’s annual Christmas concert will return on December 19 featuring seasonal songs, readings and magical performances from the cast of Sleeping Beauty, Mercury Theatre’s Social Club, Mercury Young Company and Musical Theatre Dance. The theatre will be hosting a collection following the free concert to raise funds for Refugee, Asylum Seeker & Migrant Action.
The Mercury Theatre also continues with its Colchester Pride film nights in the Mercury Studio with screenings of Rocky Horror Picture Show on November 7, The Danish Girl on November 28, and Beginners on December 5.
Tickets can be bought at mercurytheatre.co.uk.
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