We were greeted and looked after by the Mercury Theatre Operations Director Carol Rayner, who, throughout the afternoon, gave us a really interesting insight into the backroom ‘Working Body’ of the Mercury Theatre that ensures the best possible experience for audiences of up to 530 people.

The Mercury Theatre opened in May 1972 and in 2019 benefited from a project called ‘Mercury Rising’ whereby the theatre was closed for a couple of years whilst extensive improvements and refurbishment took place.

The Mercury reopened in July 2021 with its very much improved facilities together with bringing everyone under one roof and a focus of connecting with the community.

Facilities for everyone associated with productions and the attending audiences are of an excellent standard.

Amongst the many things that we saw and observed during our tour were the rehearsal room, the dance studio, the creative engagement studio, the scenery workshop, the wardrobe and costume design workshop, front and back stage, the studio theatre that has 98 seats, and the central control hub that amongst others houses the teams associated with marketing and communications,
finance, creative engagement, development, operations and customer experience.

Throughout the tour it was lovely to see and witness a high level of staff commitment and vibrant teamwork.

We finished the afternoon with a very enjoyable cream tea in the Mercury Theatre Café Bar.