Mercury Young Company present

Thu 17 – Sat 19 Aug

See website for times | £16 | 8+

By Nikolai Gogol

Adapted by Darcy Brymen

Performed by Mercury Young Company

Youth Play

A Very Important Person wakes up one day to discover his nose is missing, only to find out his nose is now a government official - and the nose outranks him!

Gogol’s Underdogs will catapult audiences into the fantastical world of St Petersburg as seen through the eyes of Ukrainian novelist Nikolai Gogol.

A man chronicles his descent into madness. A poor filing clerk’s life is turned upside-down by the overcoat he sacrificed so much to obtain.

A visual feast featuring physical theatre, music and puppetry. These surreal and wonderful tales paint a critical, yet hilarious portrait of a city riddled with pomposity and selfimportance, combining absurdist farce with biting satire.

Sat 10 Jun, Tue 20 Jun

The Life of Pi

11am or 7:30pm | £13.50 | 12+

Puppetry, magic and storytelling combine in a unique, Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of the best-selling novel brought to life in a breath-taking new way for cinema screens.

After a cargo ship sinks, a 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive?

Fleabag

7pm | £13.50 | 15+

Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a riproaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Following a box-office record-breaking run in cinemas in 2019, the one-woman show returns to the big screen this summer

Sat 17 Jun

Best of Enemies

7pm | £13.50 | 15+

David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) play feuding political rivals in James Graham’s (Sherwood) multiple award-winning new political thriller.

As beliefs are challenged and slurs slung, a new frontier in American politics is opening and television news is about to be transformed forever.

Fri 04 Aug

Pride Movie Nights

Join Colchester Pride for a celebration of queer cinema, bringing classic LGBTQ+ movies back to the big screen every month!

We’re delighted to host a diverse selection of film screenings in partnership with Colchester Pride as we line up cult films like To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar through to modern classics like Brokeback Mountain.

Grab some popcorn and settle in for a great night out with movie icons!

See our website for the full schedule.

The Mercury is a place where anyone, regardless of background, can take part in our exciting programme of weekly workshops and classes for adults and young people that are designed to develop performance skills, build confidence, meet new people and unleash your creative side!

Social Club

55+

Our Social Club is an opportunity for anyone aged 55 and over to connect with other members of our community, learn new skills and take part in fun activities. This is an opportunity for participants to get involved creatively and is a safe, inclusive space to forge new friendships.

The Social Club meets every Thursday and the best part? Brews and biscuits are included in the price!

Thursdays, 12-2pm £7 per session

Musical Theatre Dance

18+

Each week our experienced choreographers, Rosie Mather (Matilda the Musical film) and Vivien Carter ( Anything Goes), will teach routines inspired by hit musicals in our gorgeous dance studio. With routines from classic and contemporary shows, you will be introduced to various styles such as Modern Jazz, Latin, Hip-Hop and many more.

Staying active whilst dancing to your favourite show tunes – who could ask for anything more? Why not join us for a drink afterwards? All dancers receive a 10% discount on their first drink in our café bar.

Tuesdays, 6pm & 7pm £6 per session

Mercury Community Choir

18+

Come sing with us! Led by our professional chorus leader the choir offers participants an opportunity to sing a dynamic and diverse repertoire of songs with performances in our theatre and at special events in Colchester and beyond.

Whether you’re a seasoned singer or just looking to have a great time and make friends through song - Community Choir welcomes you.

See website for dates

Thursdays, 7-8:30pm

£120 for term

We offer a payment plan, just ask our friendly Box Office team for details.

Crafternoons: Millinery

In this 2-hour workshop you’ll be guided by Susan Widlake, Milliner and Mercury Creative, through the process of making your very own fascinator or bicorn. There will be an assortment of ribbon, flowers, feathers and trims for you to create something uniquely yours to take home. Basic sewing skills are useful but if you think you might struggle, don’t worry, Susan will help!

Saturday 10 Jun, 2-4pm £30 per workshop

Drag Workshops with Tracey and Sugar Paper

18+

Here’s your chance to join a fun and fabulous workshop led by professional drag and performance artists, Dan Deller-Thompson (Drag Queen) and Lisa Warnock (AFAB Queen). This class is open to all genders and is suitable for complete newcomers who just want to try something fun, as well as those with some prior performance experiences.

See website for dates and times £15 per session

Pilates

Delivered in partnership with Le Barre, Pilates is a low-impact workout that comprises a variety of stretches achieved through precise poses to help you achieve a lean physique while challenging you mentally, physically and spiritually. Pilates is an effective stress release and mood booster, as well as being a brilliant way to keep fit. Highly experienced Pilates/Ballet instructors with years of Pilates, Professional Dance, Fitness and wellness experience deliver our Pilates classes.

See website for dates, Wednesdays 1pm £7 per session

Zumba Gold ®

Join us for a fun and relaxed dance fitness class combining Latin and World rhythms. This class is perfect for active older adults or someone looking for a more relaxed class that recreates the original moves you love at a lower intensity.

The class introduces easy-to-follow choreography that aims to improve balance, range of motion and coordination. Come ready to sweat, have fun and prepare to leave confident and feeling strong!

See website for dates, Thursdays 10:15am £6 per session

Myc

5-17s

Mercury Young Company, or MYC, is our yearround ensemble of young people training to be the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

Our groups meet weekly to explore playful new methods of storytelling and to create exciting pieces of theatre. Our fun, friendly classes focus on training young people to work together as an ensemble.

See website for term dates £95 per term*

MYC Musical Theatre

13-17s

Run by West End professionals and experienced performers, this weekly dynamic class provides young people with an introduction to musical theatre.

Each term we explore songs and create ensemble numbers that explore how to integrate the singing, dance and acting techniques needed to perform on the West End stage.

See website for dates, Saturdays 2pm-4pm £136 per term*

Mac

Mercury Adult Company (MAC) is a weekly practical and innovative theatre group for anyone aged 18+ with a shared passion for creating exciting theatre – both on-stage and behind the scenes. The company makes bold work, championing unheard stories and undiscovered talent.

Whether you are a beginner or seasoned performer – if you want to express yourself, perform, laugh, meet new people or develop creative skills, we want to create with you in MAC!

See website for dates, Thursdays 7-9pm £80 for term

Twinkles & Stars

4mths-3yrs

Interactive, multi-sensory classes for early years children and their grown-up friends.

Imagination and creativity are a vital part of a child’s early life and these 45-minute sessions are designed to stimulate both. Through storytelling, dance and music, Tots provides parents and carers an opportunity to explore creative play with nothing but home materials and a sprinkle of imagination.

Tuesday mornings, see website for dates

£6.50 per session

Tots Twinkles 10:30am for babies and crawlers

Tots Stars 11:30am for walkers

Nights out at Mercury

Come and have a great night out with us. We host regular after-hours nights like Cocktail Cabaret, West End Live, Sing-a-longs and more!

All Lates are free!