The Mercury Theatre is delighted to announce that two more familiar faces will be returning to Colchester this Christmas to star in its spectacular 2026 pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.
Already announced are Colchester panto legends Antony Stuart-Hicks and Dale Superville, who return to bring their trademark comedy, chaos and festive fun to this year’s giant adventure. Now, they’re joined by two more Mercury Theatre favourites, with Sasha Latoya and Jaimie Pruden returning for another glitter-filled and laugh-packed season.
Sasha Latoya celebrates her sixth Mercury Theatre pantomime, taking on the magical role of Fairy Peaseblossom and Jaimie Pruden returns for her fourth seasonal outing at the theatre to get her claws into the part of the villainous Augusta Bigbucks
Together, they join Jack, Trevor (Superville) and their Mum, Tilly (Stuart-Hicks), on Trott’s Farm, where times are tough and money is running out. When the ruthless landowner Augusta Bigbucks snaps up the farm for a bargain, the family are forced to sell their beloved cow, Pat, at Culver Square Market. But everything changes when a giant beanstalk suddenly appears. With a fearsome giant threatening Colchester, Jack must climb to Cloudland, face the giant and save the town before it’s too late.
Since making her Mercury panto debut in Aladdin in 2021, Sasha has become a much-loved part of the theatre’s Christmas tradition, bringing joy to audiences with her performances in Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The New Adventures of Peter Pan and Mother Goose. Her extensive theatre credits also include Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Flashdance, Little Shop of Horrors, and RENT, alongside numerous television and film appearances.
Jaimie first appeared in the Mercury’s Beauty and the Beast in 2022 and has since wowed audiences as Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty and Baroness Badapple in Mother Goose. Her stage career includes acclaimed productions of Assassins at Chichester Festival Theatre, Company in London’s West End and The Secret Garden at Barn Theatre Cirencester
Packed with laugh-out-loud comedy, spectacular songs, dazzling choreography and breathtaking sets, Jack and the Beanstalk promises a magical festive adventure filled with fee-fi-fo-FUN for audiences of all ages.
Sat 21 Nov 2026 – Sun 17 Jan 2027
Duration
Approx. 2hrs 30mins, incl. interval
Tickets
£10.00 – £43.00
Age Guidance:
Family friendly shows 5+, Adult shows 18+ only
Warnings:
This show is likely to contain haze, loud noises, loud music and flashing lights.
Relaxed Performances
Thu 3 Dec 2026, 12pm (also a Schools Performance) and Sun 10 Jan 2027, 12pm (also a BSL interpreted performance).
Audio Described Performances (with pre-show touch tours available)
Sat 5 Dec 2026, 2pm and Sat 16 Jan 2027, 7pm.
Captioned Performances
Sat 5 Dec 2026, 7pm and Sat 16 Jan 2027, 2pm.
BSL performances
Fri 4 Dec 2026, 7pm, Sat 9 Jan 2027, 7.30pm (also an 18+ adult performance); and Sun 10 Jan 2027, 2pm (also a relaxed performance).
Adults Only
Sat 9 January
