Kemi Clarke returns to the Mercury Theatre to play Jack Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk, as six more names complete the company for Colchester's 2026 pantomime, running 21 November 2026 - 17 January 2027.
Kemi Clarke heads back up the Mercury Theatre beanstalk this winter, taking the role of Jack Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk. Clarke, whose credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Leicester Curve and on tour, and The Gruffalo in the West End and on tour, is one of three performers returning from last year's Colchester pantomime, and the announcement rounds off both the cast and the creative team.
Daisy Greenwood also comes back, this time as Mallory Wilkin. Greenwood's credits include Becoming Nancy at Birmingham Rep and the 10th anniversary concert of Made in Dagenham at the London Palladium. The third returner, Dee Dee Rivers, is in the ensemble and serves as Dance Captain while understudying the female roles; Rivers has previously appeared in Mother Goose at the Mercury and Robin Hood at the Thorington Theatre.
Lucie Henderson is another familiar face, back with the company after appearing in Beauty and the Beast in 2022/23; Henderson's other credits include Curtains and Zeal & Night Visions at Bird College. Henderson joins the female ensemble and is also listed as the Cow, as is newcomer Dara Gleeson, who joins the male ensemble. Also making a Mercury pantomime debut is Christopher Edwards, whose credits include The Wizard of Oz at the Exeter Corn Exchange and Summer! The Donna Summer Musical for Norwegian Creative Studios; Edwards is in the ensemble and understudies the male roles.
The six join the four principals named earlier: Antony Stuart-Hicks as the Dame, Tilly Trott, Dale Superville as Trevor Trott, Sasha Latoya as Fairy Peaseblossom and Jaimie Pruden as Augusta Bigbucks.
The Trotts begin the story in trouble, with their farm close to broke. Augusta Bigbucks buys it from under them at a knock-down price, and the family have no choice but to take Pat the cow to Culver Square Market. Then a huge beanstalk shoots up without warning, a giant starts menacing Colchester, and it falls to Jack to climb up to Cloudland and deal with it.
Written by David Phipps-Davis and directed by the Mercury's artistic director, Natasha Rickman, the show is a Mercury Original. Libby Todd designs, with choreography by Rosie Mather, musical direction by Joshua Tarrier, lighting by Matt Ladkin and sound by Tom Attwood. Jordan Langford is intimacy director, Stuart-Hicks doubles as creative consultant and Superville as associate director, and Alex Ray and Wesley Laing are associate lighting designer and associate sound designer respectively.
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Mercury Theatre, on Balkerne Gate in Colchester, from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 17 January 2027, with press night on Saturday 28 November at 7pm. Tickets are priced from £10 to £43, and the show runs about two and a half hours including an interval. Family performances are recommended for ages 5 and up, while adults-only performances are strictly 18+. Expect haze, loud noises and music, and flashing lights.
Accessible and special performances:
- Relaxed: Thursday 3 December 2026 at 12pm (also a schools performance), and the Sunday 10 January 2027 matinee (also BSL interpreted)
- Audio described, with touch tours before the show: Saturday 5 December 2026 at 2pm and Saturday 16 January 2027 at 7pm
- Captioned: Saturday 5 December 2026 at 7pm and Saturday 16 January 2027 at 2pm
- BSL interpreted: Friday 4 December 2026 at 7pm, Saturday 9 January 2027 at 7.30pm (also an adults-only performance), and the Sunday 10 January 2027 matinee (also relaxed)
