The Mercury Theatre in Colchester has today announced their 2024/5 pantomime, The New Adventures of Peter Pan, which will run from 23 November 2024 – 19 January 2025.
The pantomime will be written by Andrew Pollard and directed by and starring “the best Dame in the country” (British Theatre) Antony Stuart-Hicks as Mrs Smee. Mercury pantomime legend, Dale Superville (recently announced in the West End cast of Fawlty Towers) also returns as Smee.
Neverland is in chaos! The dastardly and devilish Captain Hook is back and seeking vengeance… With Peter Pan and the lost children in mortal danger Tinkerbell heads back to Colchester to get help. On arrival she realises many years have passed, and she must now convince Wendy’s granddaughter, to travel to Neverland and help save the infamous Peter Pan from certain death.
Will they make it back in time? Will Peter Pan conquer Hook once and for all? And…what’s that ticking sound? Join us this festive season to find out!
Pollard was writer and Dame at Greenwich Theatre for 15 years (OFFIES award winner for Best Pantomime 2019), He has also written pantos for Watford Palace, the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch, Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre Royal, Richmond, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, Norwich Theatre Royal and CAST theatre, Doncaster.
Dale Superville will return to the Mercury Theatre direct from the West End as part of the original cast of the new play adaptation of Fawlty Towers. Superville’s long relationship performing at the Mercury includes playing Patsy in Spamalot, Centipede in James and the Giant Peach, Toad in Wind in the Willows and Sir Percy Porter in Habeas Corpus. Superville’s performance credits also includes Tom’s Midnight Garden (London and New York), Simply Heavenly (Ambassador Theatre Group and Young Vic) and Grandpa In My Pocket (Nottingham Playhouse/UK tour).
This year’s pantomime will mark Antony Stuart-Hicks’ ninth Mercury pantomime season. He is the Talent Development Producer for the Mercury and directing credits include the UK tour of The Hound of the Baskervilles, the international tour of Robin Hood and multiple pantomimes across the UK. Performance credits include Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (Dubai), Professor Callaghan in Legally Blonde (Jersey Opera House) and Roscoe in Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Criterion Theatre, West End).
Stuart-Hicks said, “Join us for Colchester’s favourite pantomime this Christmas as Neverland bursts to life in a spectacular production that’s fun for the whole family. The New Adventures of Peter Pan promises to be an awe-inspiring spectacle with the perfect blend of breath-taking sets & costumes, mind-blowing flying and effects, side-splitting comedy and of course the usual warning applies… I will very much be in it!”
There will be a range of accessible shows throughout the run including relaxed, audio described, captioned and BSL interpreted performances. The theatre will also bring back their popular 18+ adults only performances with seven shows held in January.
The theatre has also added an additional week to this year’s run due to last year’s record-breaking sales which sold 98.4% of available tickets.
Tickets start at £10 and there are fifty £10 tickets available at every off-peak performance, as well as discounts for School and Youth groups. Ensuring families of all backgrounds across the Essex County can attend. Tickets for other performances start at £15. Audiences are encouraged to book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. More information can be found at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
