Mercury Theatre Announces Priority and Public Booking Dates For BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Pantomime

Mercury Theatre today announces priority booking is available from today, 23 February, for this year's magical Mercury pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, with public booking going live Tuesday 1 March at 10am. Pantomime royalty Antony Stuart-Hicks and Dale Superville return to the Mercury stage to lead the cast in Andrew Pollard's Beauty and the Beast from 26 November 2022 - 15 January 2023 with direction from Olivier Award-winning Donnacadh O'Briain

The 2021 Mercury panto Aladdin broke box-office records, with appreciative audiences returning to theatre over the Christmas period, many for the first time since the pandemic. Following huge demand for the adults-only Aladdin performances, there will also be four adult-only performances of Beauty of the Beast in January 2023, when audiences get the chance to enjoy the wickedly naughty antics of Ash and Dale off-the-leash.

It's a tale as old as time and a panto that will be unmissable for the whole family. Discover what it takes for true love to conquer all and whether love is all you really need?

The mysterious Beast imprisons our Beauty in his enchanted castle. Can she escape with the help of her family and melt Beast's icy heart before it's too late? Will Cupid's plan work before the last rose petal falls?

Ryan McBride, Creative Director of Mercury Theatre says today "'It was wonderful to see audiences return to theatre for panto last year; it's the big Christmas treat for so many families and the introduction to theatre for so many children. I think audiences are feeling increasingly confident about booking ahead to secure their panto tickets for 2022 - after all, it doesn't really feel like Christmas without panto! Andrew Pollard's wickedly funny script combined with superb direction from Olivier Award-winning Donnacadh O'Briain, plus the brilliance of our panto superstars Ash and Dale, is an irresistible combination."

Donnacadh O'Briain adds "I'm delighted to be joining the team for Panto 2022 at the Mercury. Beauty and the Beast is a great choice, and it's a story I'm really excited to tell. It's got all the magic and romance of a classic, and Andrew Pollard has brought a big dollop of Panto to it, with a cherry on top... All the fairytale, double the madness. We're going to have so much fun making this for Colchester, and I can't wait to welcome Colchester in to see it."