Colchester panto 2026–27
Jack and the Beanstalk at Mercury Theatre
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Mercury Theatre in Colchester from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 17 January 2027.
| Dates | Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 17 January 2027 Includes 18+ adult performances at 19:30 (and one 14:00) between 5 and 15 January |
|---|---|
| Show times | Family shows usually 14:00 and 19:00, with 12:00 and 16:00 on some Sundays; many weekday school performances at 10:15, 12:00 and 14:00 until 16 December |
| Running time | About 2 hours 30 minutes including an interval |
| Ages | Family shows 5+; adult performances strictly 18+ |
| Tickets | £10 to £43 including a £2.50 ticket levy; £2 off for groups of 10+, under-26s and over-65s at off-peak shows |
| Starring | Antony Stuart-Hicks, Dale Superville |
| Schools and groups | Schools £12.50 (early bird) or £14.50 with the 11th ticket free; youth groups £15.50 on set November shows |
| Adults-only version | The Mercury also runs 18+ adult performances of its panto on most evenings from 5 to 15 January (and one 14:00 show on 9 January); check the date before booking. |
| Theatre | Mercury Theatre, Colchester CO1 1PT |
| Produced by | Mercury Theatre |
Access performances
| Relaxed | Thursday 3 December at 10:15, Sunday 10 January at 12:00 |
|---|---|
| BSL | Friday 4 December at 19:00, Saturday 9 January at 19:30, Sunday 10 January at 12:00 |
| Audio described | Saturday 5 December at 14:00, Saturday 16 January at 19:00 |
| Captioned | Saturday 5 December at 19:00, Saturday 16 January at 14:00 |
Touch tours before the audio-described shows (book by phone or email); the 3 December relaxed show is also a schools show; the 10 January 12:00 show is both relaxed and BSL-interpreted; the 9 January BSL show is an 18+ adult performance; a social story will be published.
Planning your visit
| Access booking | 01206 573948 [email protected] Mercury Theatre's access page |
|---|---|
| At the relaxed show | Lighting, special effects and loud noises are toned down a little, and you can come and go and make noise during the show. |
| Visual story | Read the visual story |
| Carer tickets | Free companion or carer ticket with a full-price ticket for Mercury productions; join the free Access for All scheme and tick the personal assistant/companion box so it is applied online. |
| Sensory warnings | Haze, loud noises, loud music and flashing lights. |
The social story linked is the theatre's general one; a social story for this panto (with spoilers) is due nearer the time and is emailed to relaxed-show bookers. Touch tours are booked by phone or email only. Text phone 01206 245518.
Access performances sell out first, so book early. Every relaxed panto in the UK · every signed and captioned one.
About this panto
The Mercury's own Jack and the Beanstalk, set in Colchester, with resident dame Antony Stuart-Hicks and Dale Superville, plus 18+ adult performances in January.
Other pantos nearby
| Where | Panto | Dates | From | Access | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clacton-on-Sea Princes Theatre | Sleeping Beauty | Sat 5 Dec to Tue 29 Dec | RelaxedBSL | 13 miles | |
| Ipswich New Wolsey Theatre | Cinderella | Fri 20 Nov to Sat 16 Jan | £15 | RelaxedBSLAudio describedCaptioned | 16 miles |
| Ipswich Ipswich Regent Theatre | Snow White | Sat 12 Dec to Thu 31 Dec | £17 | RelaxedBSLAudio described | 16 miles |
| Chelmsford Chelmsford Theatre | Cinderella | Fri 27 Nov to Sun 3 Jan | £20 | RelaxedBSLCaptioned | 21 miles |
| Haverhill Haverhill Arts Centre | Snow White | Wed 16 Dec to Thu 31 Dec | £18 | 23 miles | |
| Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds | Dick Whittington | Fri 20 Nov to Sun 17 Jan | £15 | RelaxedBSLAudio describedCaptioned | 26 miles |
More: every Jack and the Beanstalk panto this season.
How we checked
The dates and access performances are from the theatre's own page, published by Mercury Theatre Colchester, checked on Friday 23 October 2026. Theatres sometimes change times or add performances, so check with them before you travel. How we check.