Mercury Theatre Colchester has a wide range of entertainment scheduled for this month including the theatre’s inaugural Mercurial Takeover festival week in the Mercury Studio and the world premiere of Derren Brown’s brand-new show Unbelievable in the Mercury Theatre, ahead of a West End transfer.
The theatre’s new theatre festival, Mercurial Takeover, which will run in the theatre’s Mercury Studio from 19th – 26th July and celebrate new writing from East-based artists. The week-long festival, programmed by the theatre’s producer Dilek Latif, will comprise of rehearsed readings of new scripts, scratch performances of fresh writing and performances of stage-ready shows.
The five shows that will form the inaugural festival are: Ghost Therapy by Jaz Skingle (19th July); Lessons Learnt by Jane Prinsley (20th July); Oxford Girls by Neetu Singh (21st July); North Star by Tom Murray (25th July) and Three Glorious Days by Vanessa Ackerman (26th July).
All five shows are led/written by a member of the 2022/23 Playwrights Producers and Directors (PPD) cohort: Jak Skingle (Mercury Director) for Ghost Therapy, Jane Prinsley (Mercury Director) for Lessons Learnt, Neetu Singh (Mercury Director) for Oxford Girls, Tom Murray (Mercury Playwright) for North Star and Vanessa Ackerman (Mercury Playwright) for Three Glorious Days.
Internationally acclaimed psychological illusionist Derren Brown announces a brand-new show Unbelievable, which premieres in Colchester from 28th July – 26th August, prior to opening in London’s West End. Fusing the best of theatre with jaw dropping illusions never before seen in the West End, magic show Unbelievable will feature a New York Subway band and a company of multi-talented performers who will bring to life, live on stage, an evening of bewildering trickery, from the imagination of Derren Brown, and long-time collaborators Andy Nyman and Andrew O’Connor.
Doorstep Duets, produced by Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures in partnership with Mercury Theatre and Farnham Maltings, is returning for the third year and will be touring to communities across the South- East. Doorstep Duets showcases original choreography by upcoming artists in outdoor spaces and non-traditional performance venues, bringing the joy and wonder of dance to all. Performances are across Essex from 18 – 21 July with public performances at the Clacton Shopping Village (18th July), Harlow Town Park (19th July), King George V Playing Field (20th July), Colchester Library (21st July) and Culver Square (21st July).
The theatre’s family theatre offerings in June include Stories of a Little Watersprite (22nd July, Studio) and Roald Dahl and the Imagination Seekers (29th July, Studio).
The Comedy Network will return this month to the Mercury’s Studio for more Fringe Previews on 28th July. This month will see Matt Forde (Spitting Image, The Last Leg) and Britain’s most-viewed comedian on TikTok, Simon Brodkin, present their work in progress shows.
Suffolk Market Events will present a special Mid Summer Market on the Piazza outside the Mercury Theatre on Saturday 29th July, 3-8pm. Alongside entertainment from the theatre, there will be locally produced food including cakes, bakes and brownies as well as homemade pies, regional cheeses, plus local wine and craft gins and craft stalls such as jewellery, photography, textile and cushions as well as street food including sourdough toasties, chicken burgers and Indian samosa and paneers.
