The Mercury Theatre in Colchester has announced the full cast for the world premiere of Swallow The Lake, a Mercury Original production in association with HighTide.
Written by Tassa Deparis and directed by Yasmin Hafesji, Swallow The Lake runs in the Mercury Studio from 2–11 October 2025.
The cast includes Lydia Bakelmun (Antigone, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Matthew Jewson (Twelfth Night, Castle Park Theatre), Krupa Pattani (Mr Bates VS The Post Office), and Liam Bull (Macbeth, Watermill Theatre).
Swallow The Lake follows Joanna and Joseph, who have relocated to a quiet town in Essex. When they host their first dinner party, an old story resurfaces—along with a word that never should have been said.
What follows is a rupture that reverberates through years of trust, affection, and silence.
The play explores memory, identity, and the fragility of relationships, tracing the characters’ shared childhood shaped by army barracks and English hillsides.
Written in response to the Summer 2024 riots and protests, the production was developed through the Mercury Playwrights programme in association with Paines Plough’s Tour the Writer.
Joining the creative team are William Hamilton Tighe as Designer, Skylar Turnbull Hurd as Lighting Designer, and Joe Dines as Sound Designer.
Playwright Tassa Deparis said:
“This story means a lot to me and I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a caring team. I’m enormously grateful to the Mercury Theatre, Paines Plough and HighTide who are not just supporting this play, but me. They have not only given me a chance to grow as a writer, but to be one at all. I am so looking forward to seeing what is uncovered during the process and learning more about the play and myself.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
