Local theatre partners with Colchester Foodbank to increase vital donations
The Mercury Theatre is aiming to help citizens of Colchester tackle the cost of living crisis by making the most of what the theatre has to offer and partnering with local charities. The team have come up with a number of ways to help, including collecting monetary donations for the Colchester Foodbank during it’s current run of Mercury Production, They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!
The hard-hitting political farce was originally written in 1972 by Dario Fo and Franca Rame and centres around the looting of a supermarket because of the rising price of food. It has since been updated by actress and playwright Deborah McAndrew, to bring the show to present day Colchester.
Last week the Mercury’s Executive Director, Steve Mannix, went to the Colchester Foodbank to launch the partnership and meet some of the volunteers that run the centre.
Steve Mannix Executive Director, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Anne and the volunteers at the Foodbank during the run of our current show to collect cash donations which will help the vital work that they do. My visit to the centre highlighted the extensive impact they continue to have in the community – in January alone they fed 3844 people and if this continues across the year they’ll feed 133% more people in 2023, compared to last year. We’ve had a food donation point in our box office for a while now, but we encourage anyone coming to visit us to drop off their items when they see show or attend an activity.”
Alongside their work with the Foodbank and being one of the city centre’s ‘Warm Spaces’, the Mercury have created a number of other ways to provide support to anyone that visits. The Café Bar provides meals at a discounted rate for pensioners every Wednesday where they can get a hot meal and a drink for £5, plus children get to eat for free with every paying adult. Additionally, the Soup of the Day and a drink are available for £3.95 any day of the week when the kitchen is open.
As part of the theatre’s extensive creative engagement programme, the Mercury offer bursary places for Mercury Young Company and holiday clubs throughout the year ensuring creative activities are available for young people no matter their background.
With energy prices still high, the theatre office’s hot desks and workspaces are available at discounted rates when you book multiple days to save working from home. They also continue to offer Military personnel and Emergency Services employees discounted tickets through their partnership with the Blue Light Card.
Standby tickets are available for They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! for £5 when purchased in person after 4pm on the day of the show.
