27 Sep The Mercury Theatre announces 2024 Spring Season
The Mercury Theatre in Colchester has today announced details of their 2024 spring season including a revival Oscar Wilde’s beloved comedy The Importance of Being Earnest from 1-16 March 2024. The Mercury Production, which will be directed by the Mercury’s Creative Director Ryan McBryde (They Don’t Pay? We Don’t Pay!, The Comedy of Errors), will give Wilde’s dazzling wit a stylish makeover and will open the theatre’s 2024 season.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies ever written, The Importance of Being Earnest zings with contemporary relevance, subversively satirising the snobbery and hypocrisy of extreme wealth and excess.
McBryde said of today’s announcement, “We’re delighted to be launching our 2024 season with Wilde’s mirth inducing masterpiece. Though it is without doubt one of the funniest plays in the English language, Earnest often gets branded as a frivolous farce. But when you scratch away the surface the play is actually a scathing and subversive attack on the official order of English society, ridiculing our values and beliefs, demolishing the late nineteenth-century’s social and moral attitudes. Wilde’s skewering of class, marriage, hereditary privileges, education, religion, and gender identity is actually a scorching social satire, as relevant today as it was to our Victorian ancestors.”.
The season will also include:
Viva! (10th February), which sees hosts Carli Norris (Eastenders & Hollyoaks) and Mercury Panto legend Antony Stuart-Hicks alongside some of the best Burlesque dancers in Europe perform in a riotous sequin drenched comedy cabaret spectacular.
Houdini’s Great Escape (15th-16th February) – a hilarious 39 Steps-esque thriller, played out in New Old Friends’ (Crimes on Centre Court) inimitable, award-winning style of physical comedy, sparkling wit and just a touch of chaos. Featuring a hard-working cast of four playing multiple roles on an almost harder-working set, this show will have you laughing and gasping throughout at the magic of theatre and the ‘real’ magic of illusions designed by TV’s Pete Firman (BBC One’s The Magicians). Produced by New Old Friends in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
Country Superstars (17th February), the world’s biggest country music touring tribute show, sees TV and West End Dolly Parton impersonator Sarah Jayne and award-winning TV vocal impersonator Andy Crust take the audience on a journey back through time to meet the most influential icons to have shaped country music history, featuring award winning impersonations of Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Billie Jo Spears, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks, John Denver, Glen Campbell and Canadian country superstar Shania Twain and includes The Country Superstars Band.
Pop Divas Live! (21st February) is the UK’s number one pop concert, which welcomes audiences to dance and sing along to songs from their favourite pop sensations. Featuring songs from pop stars including Little Mix, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish.
Lost in Music (22nd February) is a celebration of the 1970s, which features some of the greatest songs of all time from artists such as Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sister Sledge and Chic played by a sensational live band and an incredibly talented cast.
Awake My Soul: The Mumford and Sons Story (27th March) is the incredible live concert celebrating Mumford and Son’s, one of the most famous British folk-rock bands of the 21st century and their unique sound. The audience will be taken on the journey of their musical story from West London dive bars to sell-out stadium tours, multi-platinum albums and a private performance for Barrack Obama. Featuring a spectacular live four-piece band bringing to the stage Mumford & Sons’ distinct sound with all their very best music including Little Lion Man, I Will Wait and Awake My Soul.
Friend (The One with Gunther) (2nd April) is the true insider story of what happened to Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey from the F.R.I.E.N.D.S character who kept them caffeinated through all the highs, lows, love affairs and failed auditions along the way – Gunther. This award-winning show was created by acclaimed comic actor Brendan Murphy who also created and performs the multi-award-winning Buffy Revamped at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. He is also co-creator of ARIA award-nominated satirical podcast NonCensored with Rosie Holt. FRIEND will be performed by Joseph Maudsley, who has recently performed all over the world with the Olivier award nominated show Potted Potter, including in Las Vegas, where the show won Best New Show in The Best of Las Vegas Awards.
La Voix – The Red Ambition Tour (25th July) – Direct from the West End, La Voix brings Colchester a unique evening of entertainment with huge live vocals, a live band and side-splitting comedy. La Voix has performed for everyone from the Royal Family to the residents of Hull. La Voix was a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent and most recently appeared on ITV’s Queen for the Night alongside Lorraine Kelly and Paramount’s Queen of the Universe.
The Mercury Theatre have also announced today the next set of dates for their Pride Movie Nights in the Studio series, which are: Moonlight (10th October), Philadelphia (17th October), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (7th November), The Danish Girl (28th November) and Beginners (5th December). Tickets, which are screened in the Mercury Studio, will be priced at £8.95.
