The Chronic’s loss is Colchester’s gain: no more quarterly season previews for The Mercury we’re afraid. Instead our friends over at Balkerne Gate have only gone and announced details of their main shows for the next TWELVE months.
Hurrah!
Plus there’s more.
You really can’t go wrong with a schedule that is unashamedly trading under the title of Made in Colchester.
New Artistic Director Daniel Buckroyd hinted at these changes when he spoke @15QueenStreet back in August:
“We need to set out a bigger stall. We also need to get into a better buying position. One way to do this is to buy in the productions first. This can only be achieved if we confirm our entire schedule in one go.”
The Mercury has to come out from under its shell. We often produce fantastic work but we don’t seek critical attention. Colchester should be at the centre of theatre for this region.”
And affordable as well.
It’s an ACE initiative then to find that the new management at The Mercury is introducing a season ticket for the 2013 schedule ahead. Eleven Made in Colchester shows costing £12 per ticket can be yours.
Clickety click before 3rd January, Comrades.
But before you do the online business, what the chuffers can you expect from the new season / year at Balkerne Gate?
Punks, Opinion Makers and a panto.
Job’s a good ‘un.
Garage Band brings some punk DIY ethos to the Studio Theatre from 20th February. Four Alan Ayckbourn plays follow, all performed by the same two actors. Best not get the lines mixed up.
A Melvyn Bragg musical [blimey] in The Hired Man heads our way from 21st March. The History Boys directed by Daniel Buckroyd should be hugely popular from 23rd May.
The tribes of Sunny Colch theme continues in August with a timely Bank Holiday production of Quadrophenia. The Made in Colchester angle is particularly strong here – The Mercury has already put the call out for any young actors, singers, dancers and musicians to lend a hand to the Made in Colchester MOD classic.
And before Britain’s Oldest Recorded has even started to get excited about the 2012 run of Jack and the Beanstalk, the 2013 season is already looking ahead to Sleeping Beauty, the production that will have us gushing in the aisles in twelve months from now.
Fine work in setting out your stall and scheduling a whole year of shows in the main theatre. The Made in Colchester and season ticket offer is also appreciated.
We’re sure we can find three extra Mercury blog posts to bash out over the coming months.
